Intruders strike home of judge tied to Hariri court - again

by **Admin** Thu Apr 24, 2008 2:38 pm

Justice
Minister Charles Rizk said on Tuesday that veteran Judge Ralph Riachi's
home in Al-Douwar, Mount Lebanon, had been vandalized by unknown
individuals late Sunday in an apparent attempt to intimidate the
jurist. Riachi is one of two judges assigned by the Lebanese government
to cooperate with United Nations officials in setting up the
international tribunal to try suspects in former Premier Rafik Hariri's
murder.

The
vandals reportedly broke into Riachi's house and shattered most of its
furniture without stealing anything, as none of the house's contents
were reported missing.

Well-informed
sources told The Daily Star that the vandals wrecked some closets in
what seemed to be an attempt to find a specific item. Fingerprints were
lifted from the crime scene, the sources added.

Speaking
to reporters after meeting Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir on
Tuesday, Rizk urged UN chief Ban Ki-moon to speed up the appointment of
Canadian Judge Daniel Bellemare as prosecutor general on the tribunal
in a bid to protect the Lebanese judges by exempting them from their
current duties.

Bellemare, the chief investigator on the Hariri murder case, has yet to be appointed as prosecutor general.
Rizk
argued that delaying the appointment was putting the lives of Riachi
and other Lebanese judges at risk. "What are we waiting for? Does a
Lebanese judge have to get killed before Bellemare takes full charge of
the case?" Rizk asked.

Judicial sources said that Riachi's house had been invaded twice in less than a year.