| Submit your comments on this article |
| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| EU will impose sanctions on suspects in Hariri's murder |
| 2006-02-24 |
| The European Union will impose sanctions on people identified by the UN investigation probe as suspects in the murder of former lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. In a statement released late on Tuesday after a meeting of EU justice ministers, the 25-member bloc agreed to freeze the assets of and ban visas for the suspects that were named in the UN's commission report. The sanctions would affect people linked to planning, financing, organizing or carrying out the bomb attack that killed Hariri and some 22 others. No names were mentioned in the report. Austrian Ambassador to Lebanon George Maunter-Markhof told The Daily Star newspaper that "this decision was taken to have the legal grounds ready for implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1636." He added: "No names of suspects were communicated from the UN to the EU yet, but they want to be ready so that when names are listed they can implement immediate sanctions." Austria currently holds the presidency of the EU. Last October the UN Security Council passed Resolution 1636, which stipulates that "all individuals suspected by the Commission or the Government of Lebanon of involvement in planning, sponsoring, organizing or perpetrating the murder be subject to travel restrictions and freezing of assets." A UN spokesperson said that a UN sanction commission was formed to look into the way to implement the sanctions and to identify the groups and individuals involved in the sanctions. The spokesperson added that it was up to the new head of the UN investigation team, Serge Brammertz, to identify the suspects in the assassination of Hariri. According to a report released last December by the UN commission headed by German prosecutor Detlev Mehlis, 19 individuals are "suspects" in the killing of Hariri. Twelve of the suspects are currently in the custody of Lebanese authorities. It is believed that the list of suspects identified by the UN probe also includes high-ranking Syrian officials. The U.S. Treasury Department decided in January to freeze the assets of Assef Shawkat, head of Syrian military intelligence. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 No hunting or fishing licenses will be granted, so there. |
| Posted by: Captain America 2006-02-24 00:52 |