Damascus gets guarantees for its security officials in Hariri investigation
Syria-Lebanon-UN, Politics, 11/26/2005

The Syrian deputy foreign minister Walid al-Muaallim said in the press conference held on Friday in Damascus in which he declared Syria's acceptance to interrogate five top of its security officials in Vienna that Syria had taken this decision after studying this issue and in light of the guarantees Damascus got to honor the national sovereignty of the Syrian state and the rights of individuals to be interrogated, noting that the Syrian officials will be returning back to Damascus, escorted by their lawyers who will go with them.

These Syrian officials will be interrogated as part of the investigation into the murder of Lebanon's Prime Minister Rafiq al-Hariri.

Muaallim said that one of these guarantees Syria had got from one of the UN Security Council permanent member states, he did not specify by name, while the other guarantee was taken, according to Muaallim, during the meeting between the legal advisor at the Syrian foreign ministry Riad al-Dawoudi during his meeting with UN investigator Deltev Mehlis in Barcelona in Spain, on November 18.

The Syrian officials said that these guarantees were mentioned in the minutes of meetings between Dawoudi with Mehlis, considering that Syria's approval of Vienna as a place for investigation is considered a middle solution between the Syrian demands and the demands set by the UN investigation committee.

It was remarkable that five Syrian officials will be interrogated rather than 6 as announced before. A matter which raised predictions on certain observers on the possibility of a deal that rules out the brother in law of the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Asef Shawkat from interrogation.

Previous Stories:
  On the Syrian acceptance of Vienna as venue for Hariri investigation interrogation   (11/26/2005)
  Mehlis reaches agreement on interrogating Syrian officials   (11/26/2005)
  Syrian proposal to sign cooperation protocol rejected by Mehlis   (11/25/2005)
  UN investigator interrogates former official in the Lebanese army   (11/25/2005)
  Syria asks for a UN investigation protocol   (11/25/2005)

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