The Secretary-General reaffirms his strong support for the work of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL).

The filing of an indictment today by the Prosecutor of the STL is in pursuit of its mandate to end impunity for the terrible crimes that took the life of the former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri and 22 others in the attack of 14 February 2005, and related attacks.

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon is an independent court of law established at the request of the Government of Lebanon, with a clear mandate from the United Nations Security Council. The Secretary-General reiterates his call on all parties to refrain from any interference or influence in its work, but to allow it to proceed in accordance with the highest legal principles and standards applied by all United Nations-assisted international tribunals.

The independent judicial process should not be linked with any political debate. It is important not to prejudge the outcome of the work of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.