Special Tribunal for Lebanon: Appeals Chamber Sets Date for Judgement in Prosecutor v. Merhi and Oneiss

01-03-2022

Grace ATALUI MOKANGO

International Justice and Human Rights Researcher 

Global Human Rights Defence

In a press release dated 24 February, the Appeals Chamber of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon issued a scheduling order for the reading of the judgement in the case of Prosecutor v. Merhi and Oneissi ( formerly Prosecutor v. Ayyash and al.) in a public hearing on Thursday, 10 March 2022 at 2 p.m. Due to sanitary conditions, the hearing is held virtually and broadcast instantly on the court's website in French, English, and Arabic. 

As a reminder, the Special Tribunal for Lebanon is a hybrid international court based in The Hague and remains the first international court to treat terrorism as a separate crime. Like most hybrid courts, it was established for the specific purpose of prosecuting those accused of carrying out the 14 February 2005 terrorist attack, which left 22 people dead, including former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, and injured many others.

Thus, in this case, the Trial Chamber acquitted on 18 August 2020 Hassan Habib Merhi, Hussein Hassan Oneissi, and Assad Hassan Sabra in absentia while finding Salim Jamil Ayyash guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Finally, the court specified that the Appeals Chamber is seised of an appeal by the Prosecution against the Judgement of the Trial Chamber in the case of Prosecutor v. Merhi and Oneissi because that judgement sentenced only Ayyash to 5 life sentences while acquitting the others of all charges. The Prosecution filed its Appeal Brief on 29 March 2021, and Defence Counsel for Messrs Merhi and Oneissi filed a Response Brief. 

Source and further reading : 

Special Tribunal for Lebanon, Press release (27 feb 2022), STL Appeals Chamber schedules pronouncement of the Appeal Judgment in the case of Prosecutor v. Merhi and Oneissi (STL-11-01) for Thursday, 10 March 2022, from : https://www.stl-tsl.org/en/media/press-releases/stl-appeals-chamber-schedules-pronouncement-of-the-appeal-judgment-in-the-case-of-prosecutor-v-merhi-and-oneissi-stl-11-01-for-thursday-10-march-2022