Special Tribunal for Lebanon 3.55

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon, also referred to as the Lebanon Tribunal or the Hariri Tribunal, is a tribunal of international character applying Lebanese criminal law to carry out the investigation and prosecution of those responsible for the 14 February 2005 assassination of Rafic Hariri, the former Lebanese prime minister, and the deaths of 21 others, as well as those responsible for connected attacks.The Tribunal officially opened on 1 March 2009 and has primacy over the national courts of Lebanon. The Tribunal has its seat in Leidschendam, on the outskirts of The Hague, Netherlands, and a field office in the Lebanese capital, Beirut. Its official languages are Arabic, French and English. The Tribunal is unique among international criminal tribunals in that it may hold trials in absentia, and it is the first to deal with terrorism as a distinct crime. It is also the only international tribunal to require the establishment of a dedicated Outreach Programme Unit in its Statute or Rules of Procedure and Evidence, indicating the importance placed on the STL's obligation to provide accurate and timely information to the public in Lebanon. The Tribunal's eleven judges, a combination of Lebanese and international judges, are appointed by the UN Secretary-General for a renewable term of three years.The Tribunal's mandate was initially three years. However, there is no fixed timeline for the judicial work to be completed. The mandate has subsequently been extended to allow the Tribunal to complete its work.