A UN-backed court on Tuesday began reading the verdict in the case of four Hezbollah members charged with conspiracy to carry out the 2005 bombing that killed former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri and 21 others.
HARIRI’S FAMILY MEMBERS ATTENDED THE TRIAL
Hariri had close ties with the United States, Western and Sunni Gulf Arab allies, and was seen as a threat to Iranian and Syrian influence in Lebanon. He led efforts to rebuild Beirut following the 1975-1990 civil war.
Hariri’s assassination plunged Lebanon into what was then its worst crisis since the war, setting the stage for years of confrontation between rival political forces.
Several family members were in attendance at the Netherlands-based Special Tribunal for Lebanon, including Rafik al-Hariri’s son Saad.