Syria president meets with UN investigator in Hariri probe News
Syria president meets with UN investigator in Hariri probe

[JURIST] Serge Brammertz [official profile], the deputy prosecutor of the International Criminal Court who is heading the UN's independent investigation [UN materials] into the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri [JURIST news archive], on Tuesday met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad [BBC profile] to discuss Syria's alleged involvement in the 2005 bombing which killed Hariri. Earlier this year Assad rejected [JURIST report] requests from the UN commission for an interview but later agreed to meet with investigators [JURIST report]. Tuesday's meeting was Brammertz's first with Assad and Vice President Farouq al-Shara.

The UN commission has submitted two reports to the UN Security Council [JURIST report] implicating Syrian officials in the assassination. Detlev Mehlis, the German prosecutor who headed the probe until resigning at the end of 2005, has also said that he is "convinced" that Syrian authorities are responsible for Hariri's death [JURIST report]. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan is currently negotiating the establishment of a tribunal [JURIST report] that will try suspects in the assassination plot. Reuters has more.

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