/lebanon-hariri-tribunal-karma-khayat-al

  • Le TSL acquitte al-Jadeed, Karma Khayat reconnue coupable
    http://www.lorientlejour.com/article/944981/le-tsl-acquitte-al-jadeed-karma-khayat-reconnue-coupable.html

    La chaîne de télévision libanaise al-Jadeed, accusée d’avoir diffusé des informations sur des témoins protégés dans l’enquête sur l’assassinat de l’ancien Premier ministre Rafic Hariri, a été acquittée d’outrage et entrave à la justice par le juge compétent en matière d’outrage du Tribunal spécial pour le Liban (TSL), Nicola Lettieri.

    Le tribunal a certes estimé que trois témoins présumés, sur un total de onze concernés par cette affaire, pouvaient être identifiés grâce aux informations publiées par Al-Jadeed-TV. Mais, a soutenu le juge Lettieri, rien ne montre que « les individus concernés ait souffert de quoi que ce soit à cause de ces divulgations ».

    L’accusation n’a « pas prouvé au-delà de tout doute raisonnable que la divulgation (...) pouvait objectivement miner la confiance du public dans la capacité du tribunal à protéger la confidentialité de certaines informations », a-t-il ajouté lors d’une audience publique dans la banlieue de La Haye, où siège le TSL.

    La rédactrice en chef adjointe et la vice-présidente du conseil d’administration de la chaîne al-Jadeed, Karma Mohammad Tahsine Khayat, a elle aussi été acquittée pour la diffusion des reportages, mais a été reconnue coupable de ne pas les avoir retirés du site Internet de la chaîne lorsque le tribunal le lui avait demandé.

    • Lebanon Tribunal Gives Mixed Verdict in Confidential Witnesses Case
      http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/19/world/middleeast/lebanon-hariri-tribunal-karma-khayat-al-jadeed-tv-trial.html

      An international court on Friday found Karma Al-Khayat, an executive with Al Jadeed TV in Lebanon, guilty of contempt of court for ignoring its order to remove broadcasts about confidential witnesses from the station’s website. She was acquitted, however, of the more serious charge of obstruction of justice.

      The station’s parent company, New TV, based in Beirut, was tried on similar charges before the same Italian judge, Nicola Lettieri, but on Friday he cleared the company on all counts.

      The case against Ms. Khayat and Al Jadeed drew criticism from news organizations in Lebanon and abroad, raising questions about whether the trials amounted to an attack on the freedom of the press. Diplomats and lawyers also followed it because the charges against the company, rather than an individual, appeared to develop a novel notion of corporate liability in international criminal law.

      “I’m delighted the judge unequivocally rejected the charges against the company, because they lacked a legal base in international law,” said Karim Khan, the British lawyer representing Ms. Khayat and New TV. He said he was satisfied that Ms. Khayat had been acquitted of the most serious charge she faced, obstruction of justice. He also said that Ms. Khayat would almost certainly appeal the contempt of court conviction.

      Ms. Khayat, 32, whose family is the main owner of Al Jadeed TV, could face a prison term or fine. The prosecutor asked for a 12-month sentence or a fine of 100,000 euros, about $130,000. Ms. Khayat was scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 28.

    • Chez la BBC, on titre carrément sur le fait que Karma Khayat a été innocentée par « la Hague »… la condamnation pour outrage n’est mentionnée qu’après trois paragraphes : Hague court clears Lebanese journalist
      http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-34288461

      A Lebanese TV journalist and her station have been cleared of obstructing justice by a UN-backed tribunal investigating the 2005 killing of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

      Karma Khayat and Al Jadeed had been accused of having revealed details about key protected witnesses.

      But Ms Khayat was convicted of contempt of court for failing to remove broadcasts about the case online.

    • Why the judgement against Karma Khayyat is disappointing: Another case of STL “selective #justice
      https://mideastwire.wordpress.com/2015/09/18/why-the-judgement-against-karma-khayyat-is-disappointing-anot

      As for the Khayyat judgement, it is disappointing not because of her case in itself – I cant evaluate that…. but rather because of all the many many many destructive leaks etc by many new orgs and journos over the last 10 years – NONE of which have been brought before the court.

      Strange, right, that the only two cases involve vociferous critics of the STL!

      Strange and another sad mark on a process that could have been and should have been far better.

      #mascarade