Mehlis insists detainment of four security chiefs 'legal'

by **Admin** Wed Mar 19, 2008 6:35 am

The former head of the UN International Independent Investigative Commission into the assassination of former Lebanese Premier Rafik Hariri told LBCI television on Tuesday that he still considered the detainment of the four former security chiefs legal. "As an observer, I think their detainment is fully legal," Mehlis told journalist May Chidiac during the weekly "Bi Kul Jura'a" political talk show.

The four former security chiefs - Jamil al-Sayyed of General Security, Ali al-Hajj of the Internal Security Forces, Raymond Azar of army intelligence and Mustafa Hamdan of the Presidential Guards - have been detained since 2005 for alleged involvement in Hariri's killing.

The former head of the UN probe commission, Belgian prosecutor Serge Brammertz, said the detainment of the four was the responsibility of the Lebanese judiciary.

In the interview Mehlis said he had recommended that the four former generals be put into provisional detention.

"We had indications that they were planning to leave the country and most importantly we had indications of their strong involvement in the murder," he said, adding that he had never seen "an official UN recommendation to release the suspects."
"Moreover," Mehlis said, "I have full trust in the Lebanese judiciary, especially State Prosecutor Saeed Mirza and Investigatiing Magistrate Saqr Saqr."

Sayyed had repeatedly held Mirza and Saqr responsible for his "arbitrary" detention.

Mehlis revealed that during his tenure he was subject to "dangerous threats."

"The late MP Gebran Tueni was assassinated a day before I released the December 2005 report," Mehlis noted.
The German prosector added that it was the right of Lebanese citizens to "be informed about the latest developments concerning investigations."

"The UN established the probe committee to bring some hope to the Lebanese, therefore credibility and transparency should characterize the committee's work," he added.