The Appeals Chamber of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon ruled that Salim Ayyash’s Defence cannot appeal his conviction in his absence in the Ayyash et al. case

The Ayyash et al. case concerns the attack against the former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri’s life by explosives on 14 February 2005 in central Beirut. It killed 22 people, including the former prime minister, and injured 226 others.  On 18 August 2020, STL Trial Chamber I unanimously found Mr Ayyash guilty for cooperating with the explosions. A few months later, On 11 December 2020, the Trial Chamber I unanimously sentenced Mr Ayyash to five years of imprisonment. As Mr. Ayyash’s whereabouts is unknown, the Prosecution and the Defence Counsel for Mr Ayyash appealed against the Trial Judgment in absentia, which means representing the missing party in the proceedings. However, on 29 March 2021, the Appeals chamber rejected the Defence’s appeal because, according to the Appeals Chamber, the legal framework for in absentia proceedings at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon does not authorize a Defence appeal when the party in absent. For further information, please visit: https://www.stl-tsl.org/en/media/press-releases/appeals-chamber-rules-that-defence-for-salim-ayyash-have-no-standing-to-appeal-his-conviction-in-his-absence-in-the-ayyash-et-al-case