Lebanon court rules trial of suspected Hariri assassin to proceed

Judges at a United Nations-backed tribunal have rejected a request for acquittal by one of four suspects on trial in absentia for their alleged roles in the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri.

In a lengthy decision issued at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, judges said that the case against Hezbollah member Hussein Hassan Oneissi will continue.

Lawyers representing Oneissi called for his acquittal after the presentation of the prosecution’s case, saying his trial should be halted because of insufficient evidence to convict him.

Judges disagreed, saying that the evidence was strong enough for the long-running trial to continue.

Hariri was killed along with 21 others on February 14, 2005, in a massive truck bomb blast in Beirut.

— AP