Prosecutor Daniel A. Bellemare Meets Families of Victims

Beirut, 8 December 2009: During his mission in Beirut, Prosecutor Daniel A. Bellemare visited, at their residences, the families of four victims who lost their lives in terrorist attacks that took place in Lebanon and that the Office of the Prosecutor continues to follow up on closely in cooperation with the Lebanese judicial authorities.

The Prosecutor paid separate visits to:

- Mr. Samir Antoine Chikhani and Mrs. Noha Emile Azar, the mother and father of Charles Chikhani who was killed in the terrorist bombing that targeted Member of Parliament Antoine Ghanem on 19 September 2009.

- Mrs. Aida Eido, the widow of Member of Parliament Walid Eido and his sons, Zaher and Mazen Eido. MP Eido was killed with his son Khaled Eido in a targeted terrorist attack on 13 June 2007.

- Mr. Abdelhakim Al Ghalayini, the brother of Abdul Hamid Mohamed Al Ghalayini, who was one of the victims of the terrorist act of 14 February 2005 that targeted former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri.

- Mrs. Laudy Al Haj, the widow of Major General François Al Haj and his son and daughter, Elie and Rasha Al Haj. Major General Al Haj was killed in a targeted terrorist attack on 12 December 2007.

Prosecutor Bellemare thanked the families for receiving him in their homes and for providing him the opportunity to listen to their expectations and concerns and to convey to them directly, and through them to all the families of the victims, his deep appreciation for their patience while the investigation is progressing to identify and bring to justice those who had taken the lives of their loved ones.

The visit of the Prosecutor is part of a standing outreach program he established during his tenure as Head of the United Nations International Independent Investigation Commission that involves regular visits by investigators to surviving victims and the families of the victims.

“I apologize to the aggrieved families of the victims whom I could not meet during my short visit. I would have loved to meet personally with all the victims’ families and the victims who survived and I intend to meet as many of them as possible during my next visits because all victims matter equally regardless of status, position, rank or any other consideration”, the Prosecutor told the families he met. He further stated: “The victims and their families are the reason why the Tribunal was established and for my team and I, you are not ‘cases‘or‘files’. You are the face of our mission and our constant reminder of why the Tribunal exists and what we are working relentlessly to achieve: to bring you justice by ensuring that the criminals are identified and held accountable for their actions in a court of law.”

Prosecutor Bellemare commended the families of the victims for resorting to the rule of law to seek justice for their loved ones, away from any consideration of revenge or retribution. “Your faith in us is what drives us to pursue the truth with unfailing renewed resolve and determination and my team and I are as impatient as you are to ensure that your faith in justice will be rewarded by seeing to it that the horrendous crimes committed against your loved ones do not go unpunished and that no other family goes through the tremendous pain inflicted on you”, the Prosecutor said.

The Prosecutor stated that he was aware of the concerns expressed regarding the length of the investigation process and acknowledged the legitimacy of the interest of the victims and the families of the victims in knowing if and when the criminals will be identified and held accountable for what they did. “I can assure you that we are making progress and that I am very optimistic. I sincerely wish I could tell you more about the reasons for my optimism but unfortunately I cannot because I do not want to give away any information, or even a hint, that could tip off those we are after”, the Prosecutor explained.

He urged the families of the victims to uphold their faith in justice and their confidence in the independence, integrity and professionalism of the Tribunal and the ongoing investigation. “I am sure you heard me saying, repeatedly, that I will only file indictments when I am satisfied that I have in hand the solid and concrete evidence that proves guilt beyond a reasonable doubt and my team and I are working relentlessly on building a case that withstands judicial scrutiny”, the Prosecutor said. He explained that evidence, beyond being a legal requirement in any judicial process, is an absolute necessity to ensure that nothing and no one could cast doubt on the final outcome of the Tribunal’s proceedings. “In my search for the truth on your behalf, I am certainly concerned with the credibility of my work and the work of the Tribunal, but my utmost concern is about your right to know the actual truth. I must therefore avoid anything that could deprive you, the families of the victims and the victims who survived, of your right to be secure in your certainty as to who the criminals are regardless of any attempt by anyone to make you doubt the truth”, the Prosecutor explained.

The Prosecutor reiterated his heartfelt gratitude to the families of the victims for their warm welcome and urged them to maintain their trust in justice. “I have not told you what you have been waiting to hear every second of every day since your loss and I wish I could have done so, but what I came here to tell you today is that we are doing everything we can to put an end to your wait and that as the investigation progresses, I am growing more and more optimistic that we will be able to provide you with the news you have been yearning to hear”, the Prosecutor concluded.

For further information, please contact Ms. Radhia Achouri, Senior Communications Advisor/Spokesperson, Office of the Prosecutor.
Office: +31 (0) 70 800 3438, Mobile: +31 (0) 65 088 9203, Email: achouri@un.org