UN investigator seeks to have Syrian officials detained

The Director general of the Syrian TV, Fayez al-Sayegh, disclosed that Damascus has new evidence that refutes the report of the chairman of the UN investigation committee Detlev Mehlis into the assassination of the former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq al-Hariri in which Mehlis accused Syria of not cooperating, and demanded it to detain five of its officials.

Sayegh said that Syria has new testimonies, apart from that given by Husam Husam and Zuheir al-Siddiq and others, that refute the Mehlis report which falls in the course "of pressure on Syria and Lebanon." Sayegh indicated that the request to arrest any Syrian officials "should be submitted to Syria and for its part to be submitted to the Syrian investigation committee which is authorized to request evidences and discuss them," stressing that the Mehlis report does not indicate any criminal evidence that requires the detention of Syrian witnesses.

On Monday, a Syrian official source said that "Syria studies Mehlis' new report from all its political and legal aspects in order to take necessary measures which serves Syria's interests," stressing that are "no justifications to take measures against Damascus unless there is intention for "politicization of the report." He said that his country is waiting for the meeting of the UN Security Council due today over the report before commenting on it.