“The sentencing reflects the global community’s commitment to justice for the crimes committed on that day”, UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a statement on behalf of Secretary-General António Guterres.
But so far, the convicted Salim Jamil Ayyash remains at large.
Judgement day
Back in August, judges in the UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) found Mr. Ayyash accountable in absentia, of murdering the five-time prime minister, that had been among the nation’s most prominent Sunni Muslim politicians.
On the afternoon of the explosion at 2005, Mr. Hariri was travelling at a motorcade beyond the St. George Hotel in downtown Beirut when a bomb detonated that was hidden in a van.
In addition to this former prime minister, the powerful blast killed 22 others, and injured 226.
“The Secretary-General’s thoughts are with the victims of this 14 February 2005 attack, and their families”, the statement continued.
The attack brought tens of thousands of Lebanese in the streets, to show against their pro-Syrian government and pinning the assault in their southern neighbor, according to news reports at that moment.
Two weeks after, the government resigned and April, Syrian troops pulled out of the nation.
Others acquitted
In 2007 the UN and also Lebanon setup the STL to investigate the bombing and try four suspects in absentia.
Three other defendants — Hassan Habib Merhi, Hussein Hassan Oneissi and Assad Hassan Sabra — were acquitted.
Hezbollah denied any involvement in the bombing and tribunal judges allegedly stated that there wasn’t any evidence to implicate the Shia militant group’s leaders.
According to media reports, Wissam Eid, a Lebanese investigator who provided mobile phone data that revealed strategies, preparation and implementation of the attack, was assassinated in Beirut in 2008.
Special Tribunal
The Special Tribunal for Lebanon is an independent court of law based in the Government’s request, after an agreement between Lebanon and the UN that was executed from the Security Council.
“The Secretary General urges the international community to keep on supporting the individual judicial proceeding that remain before the STL”, underscored Mr. Dujarric.
