U.N. Special Tribunal for Lebanon to Begin Its Work

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon -- set up by the United Nations to try those responsible for political killings in February 2005 -- will begin its work this Sunday, March 1, 2009.  The probe into the killings is being carried out by the International Independent Investigation Commission (IIIC), headed by Daniel Bellemare, a Canadian prosecutor.  Mr. Bellemare will assume office as Prosecutor of the Special Tribunal on March 1st and continue his investigations from The Hague in the Netherlands, where the court is based.  A special ceremony will be held in the Netherlands this Sunday to mark the start of the tribunal. 

The judges of the trial and appeals chambers will assume their responsibilities on a later date to be determined by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, in consultation with the President of the Special Tribunal.  The courtroom for the trials is expected to be ready for use by early 2010.

(mew)