UN-Truth

From the SG’s 12 December 2006 report on the progress being made into investigating the killing of Rafik Hariri (S/2006/962):

“The Commission’s strategic objective remains to collect evidence against those responsible for the assassination of Rafik Hariri and the other victims of attacks being investigated that will be admissible before a future tribunal. It continues to balance the need for speed in the investigations with the exigencies of applying appropriate legal standards … The investigation into the assassination of Rafik Hariri is approaching a sensitive and complicated phase, and the Commission’s work can only be undertaken with confidentiality in order to create a secure environment for its witnesses and staff … The Commission recognizes its additional obligations and role, given that a special tribunal is likely to be established in the forthcoming although undetermined period. The dynamic of the Commission will alter as necessary to accommodate the establishment of the tribunal and, to that end, the Commission will realign its objectives in part to hand over its fact-finding work to date to the prosecutor’s office …

“The investigations into Ahmed Abu Adass have continued in this reporting period, focusing on a number of areas, including on the selection of Abu Adass for the role he played, as understood by the Commission at present. The mission is working to establish how Abu Adass was identified, where and when this occurred, who involved him in the operation and what happened to him afterwards. To further its investigation in this regard, the Commission has deconstructed the known time period from the time of Ahmed Abu Adass’ alleged involvement with certain individuals in late 2004 through the period of his disappearance in January 2005 to the time of the video being recovered on 14 February 2005.  There are significant information gaps between known events on this timeline and the Commission is working to fill those gaps in order to establish the facts of Ahmed Abu Adass’ involvement in the crime” … http://daccessdds.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N06/654/33/PDF/N0665433.pdf?OpenElement

Filed under: Hariri Commission of Inquiry, Human Rights, Kofi Annan, Lebanon