UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan intended to appoint Serge
Brammertz of Belgium to head the UN International Independent
Investigation Commission (UNIIIC) into the assassination of former
Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, UN spokesman Stephane
Dujarric announced Wednesday.
In a letter sent to the President of the Security Council, Annan
informed the Council of his intention to appoint Serge Brammertz,
Deputy Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), to
succeed Detlev Mehlis as Commissioner of the UNIIIC.
Brammertz will proceed to Beirut to take up his assignment, and
is expected to formally take over from Mehlis around Monday.
Meanwhile, Chief Prosecutor of the ICC has decided to grant
Brammertz a six month leave of absence from the ICC Office of the
Prosecutor, as a contribution to the search for truth and
accountability in a matter of grave concern to the international
community.
The UN Security Council, on Dec. 15, 2005, adopted the
resolution 1644 and decided to extend the Commission's mandate for
an additional six months until June 15, 2006.
According to Dujarric, the secretary-general reiterated his
unwavering commitment to support the work of the Commission to
fulfill its mandate to assist the Lebanese authorities to bring to
justice the perpetrators of this crime.
"In particular, the secretary-general has taken steps to fulfill
the mandate of Security Council resolution 1644 to help the
Lebanese government identify the nature and scope of the
international assistance needed for those charged with the crime to
be tried by a tribunal of an international character," the
spokesman added.
He also noted that Annan will consult with Brammertz and the
Lebanese authorities regarding the most effective manner of
expanding the work of the Commission to assist the Lebanese
authorities to investigate other terrorist attacks since Oct. 1,
2004.
(Xinhua News Agency January 12, 2006)
