Lebanon may call for special tribunal to try Israeli ‘crimes’ News
Lebanon may call for special tribunal to try Israeli ‘crimes’

[JURIST] Lebanese Justice Minister Charles Rizk [Arab Decision profile] told Lebanese media Wednesday that Lebanon plans to send UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan a report outlining alleged war crimes committed by Israel in its conflict with Hezbollah [JURIST news archive] that could be the basis for prosecuting it in a special international court. The first part of the document, prepared by the Lebanese defense and interior ministries, will be forwarded to the UN on Thursday, Rizk was quoted as saying in Beirut's Daily Star. Rizk said Lebanon may ask the UN to create an "international criminal court for Lebanon," similar to those for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda [JURIST news archives], but he conceded that such a proposal could be vetoed by some members of the UN Security Council [official website].

Rizk said that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC) [official websites] are not available as forums for the dispute. Neither Israel not Lebanon have submitted to the compulsory jurisdiction of the ICJ, and neither state is a party to the Rome Statute [list of parties], which created the ICC. The Daily Star has more.