STL Prosecutor Appealed The Not-Guilty Verdict On Ayyash’s Co-Defendants

On Wednesday, Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) Prosecutor Norman Farrell filed an appeal alleging “errors of law and errors of fact” in the Trial Chamber’s judgment that found three of Salim Ayyash’s co-defendants not guilty for the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

The Prosecutor alleged errors of law and errors of fact in the Judgment & submitted that such errors invalidate the Judgment and occasion a miscarriage of justice. He requested that the Appeals Chamber grant the appeal & enter convictions against those subject of this appeal.

— Special Tribunal for Lebanon (@STLebanon) January 13, 2021

On August 18th, 2020, the STL held a trial for the four accused of the bombing of February 14th, 2005, that killed former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and 21 others.

The court convicted Salim Jamil Ayyash in absentia but acquitted Hassan Merhi, Hussein Oneissi, and Assad Sabra for lack of enough evidence to convict them.

On December 11th, Ayyash received five life sentences for his role in the Hariri assassination. His whereabouts are still unknown.

Wednesday marked the start of the Appeals phase in the Ayyash et al. case.

The Defence Counsel for Ayyash appealed the sentence of December 11th and requested that all convictions against him be overturned.