The Special Tribunal for Lebanon issued its tenth annual report on the progress and activities carried out over a one-year period in the ongoing trial in the assassination case of former PM Rafik Hariri.

The case, known as Ayyash et al. case, concerns the 2005 attack in Beirut that killed former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and 21 others, and injured 226 more.

“Followed closely by news media outlets in Lebanon, the Middle East and internationally, as well as the diplomatic community in The Hague, Beirut and New York, the closing arguments affirmed the important and incomparable role the Tribunal plays in ensuring the perpetrators of the 14 February 2005 attack are not shielded by impunity,” STL President judge Ivana Hrdličková said in the report.

"It is also true, however, that key objectives remain ahead of us. The most prominent of these are the trial judgment and any appeal in the Ayyash et al. case, and progress in cases connected to the 14 February 2005 attack. Our work towards these objectives will reflect our continuous commitment towards the protection of the rights of the accused, the pursuit of justice for victims and the highest standards of international justice,” Hrdličková stressed.

“It is irrefutable that, in the past decade, the Tribunal has navigated a number of “firsts” in contemporary international criminal justice, not least of all including the interpretation and application of Lebanese criminal law and procedure in an international setting, conducting trials in absentia under the Tribunal’s hybrid Statute and Rules of Procedure and Evidence, and creating a substantial body of case law unique to the Tribunal’s highly specialized jurisdiction,” she added.

The report tackles the tribunal's activities and progress between 1 March 2018 and 28 February 2019.

"On the occasion of the Tribunal’s tenth anniversary, it is clear that the Tribunal has already left its mark and continues to produce valuable lessons for the future," the report concluded.

"Nonetheless, important work remains ahead of us. We take this opportunity to affirm our commitment to carrying out our mission in accordance with the highest standards of international justice."

You can check the STL's tenth annual report here