United Nations Security Council Resolution 1636

Last updated

UN Security Council
Resolution 1636
Rafic Hariri in 2001.jpg
Rafic Hariri (2001)
Date31 October 2005
Meeting no.5,297
CodeS/RES/1636 (Document)
SubjectThe situation in the Middle East
Voting summary
  • 15 voted for
  • None voted against
  • None abstained
ResultAdopted
Security Council composition
Permanent members
Non-permanent members
←  1635 Lists of resolutions 1637  →

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1636, adopted unanimously on 31 October 2005, after recalling resolutions 1373 (2001), 1566 (2004) and 1595 (2005), the council insisted that the Syrian authorities fully co-operate with the inquiry of the United Nations International Independent Investigation Commission (UNIIIC) into the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri, not least by arresting the suspects identified by the commission in its final report. [1]

Contents

The resolution, sponsored by France, the United Kingdom and United States, was adopted at a meeting where 11 members of the council were represented by their foreign ministers. [2]

Resolution

Observations

In the preamble of the resolution, the council announced that it had examined the report by the UNIIIC into the bombing in Beirut which killed Hariri and 22 others. The Lebanese authorities were praised for the full co-operation they had given to the inquiry, which had not yet completed its investigation. It was also necessary to continue investigations outside the country, and the Council acknowledged a request from Lebanon to extend the mandate of the UNIIIC. At the same time, it was also recognised that international assistance would be required to establish the truth and hold those responsible for the attack.

The commission had already concluded that, given the interference of Syria in the Lebanese government and the intermingling of the intelligence services of both countries, it was impossible that the attack on Hariri was made without the approval of senior Syrian officials. The council was also mindful that Syrian officials were hesitant to co-operate with the UNIIIC and that some had provided misleading or false information. [3]

Acts

The following was enacted under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, thus making the provisions legally enforceable.

I

The council was concerned about the conclusion that Lebanese and Syrian officials were involved in the attack. [4] It imposed a travel ban and asset freeze on individuals identified by the UNIIIC that were linked to the assassination. [5] A committee of the security council was established to administer the restrictions. The council determined that the involvement of any state would constitute a serious violation of its obligations to not support terrorism.

II

The Secretary-General Kofi Annan had extended the mandate of UNIIIC until 15 December 2005, and the council welcomed assistance given to the commission, particularly by the Lebanese authorities through the arrest of former security officials suspected of involvement in the attack.

III

The council decided that Syria had to detain individuals responsible for involvement in the attack and co-operate unconditionally with the UNIIIC. It also insisted that Syria refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of Lebanon. [6]

IV

Finally, the UNIIIC was requested to report on the progress of its investigation by 13 December 2005, including co-operation from Syria.

Reaction

Following the adoption of the resolution, Syrian Foreign Minister Farouq al-Shara stated that his country had already co-operated in full and expressed his regret that such a resolution should have been adopted. He also said that the resolution accusing Syria of having knowledge of the attack was tantamount to charging that U.S. officials knew in advance about the 11 September attacks. [2]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rafic Hariri</span> Prime Minister of Lebanon (1992–1998; 2000–2004)

Rafic Bahaa El Deen al-Hariri was a Lebanese businessman and politician who served as prime minister of Lebanon from 1992 to 1998 and again from 2000 to 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cedar Revolution</span> 2005 anti-Syrian protest movement in Lebanon

The Cedar Revolution, also known as the Independence uprising, was a chain of demonstrations in Lebanon triggered by the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri. The popular movement was remarkable for its avoidance of violence, peaceful approach, and its total reliance on methods of civil resistance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Attacks linked to the Cedar Revolution</span>

Since 2004, a series of bombings and assassinations have struck Lebanon, most of them occurring in and around the capital, Beirut. This wave of bombings began with the assassination attempt on Marwan Hamadeh, then peaked with the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri on 14 February 2005, which touched off the Cedar Revolution and the withdrawal of Syrian troops. After the massive protests sparked by Hariri's killing, several more bombings hit Lebanon.

The Mehlis Report is the result of the United Nations investigation into the 14 February 2005 assassination of Lebanon's former prime minister Rafik al-Hariri. The investigation was launched in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1595 and headed by the German prosecutor, Detlev Mehlis. It involved questioning Lebanese and Syrian officials.

Detlev Mehlis is the Senior Public Prosecutor in the Office of the Attorney General in Berlin. He has 30 years of prosecutorial experience and has led numerous investigations into serious, complex transnational crimes. He has been a senior public prosecutor since 1992 and has, over the course of his career, been responsible for prosecuting terrorism and organized crime cases. Most notably, he investigated the bombing on the discotheque La Belle in then West-Berlin in 1986, which claimed the life of two US soldiers and a Turkish woman, and uncovered the involvement of the Libyan intelligence service. He also proved the involvement of the terrorist Carlos and Syrian diplomats in the attack on the French culture centre Maison de France, also in West-Berlin, in 1983, as well as the involvement of Syrian intelligence services in the bombing of a German-Arab social center in Berlin in 1986. Since 1998, Mehlis has been the Chief of the Contact Office of the European Judicial Network and Coordinator for the fight against organized crime in the State of Berlin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Syrian occupation of Lebanon</span> 1976–2005 military occupation

The military occupation of Lebanon by Ba'athist Syria lasted from 1976, beginning with the Syrian intervention in the Lebanese Civil War, until April 30, 2005. This period saw significant Syrian military and political influence over Lebanon, impacting its governance, economy, and society. The occupation ended following intense international pressure and the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri. The legacy of the occupation continues to influence Lebanese-Syrian relations and Lebanon's internal political dynamics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Security Council Resolution 1680</span> United Nations resolution adopted in 2006

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1680, adopted on May 17, 2006, after recalling previous resolutions on Lebanon, including 425 (1978), 426 (1978), 520 (1982), 1559 (2004) and 1655 (2005), the Council strongly encouraged Syria to respond positively to Lebanon's request to delineate borders and establish diplomatic relations, with the purpose of asserting Lebanon's sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Special Tribunal for Lebanon</span> International tribunal for the Rafic Hariri assassination

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), also referred to as the Lebanon Tribunal or the Hariri Tribunal, is a tribunal of international character applying Lebanese criminal law under the authority of the United Nations to carry out the investigation and prosecution of those responsible for 14 February 2005 assassination of Rafic Hariri, the former Lebanese prime minister, and the deaths of 21 others, as well as those responsible for connected attacks.

The United Nations International Independent Investigation Commission (UNIIIC) was established on 7 April 2005 by Security Council Resolution 1595 to investigate the assassination of former Prime Minister of Lebanon, Rafic Hariri, who had been killed in Beirut on 14 February 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Assassination of Rafic Hariri</span> 2005 political assassination in Lebanon

On 14 February 2005, former Prime Minister of Lebanon Rafic Hariri was assassinated along with 21 others in an explosion in Beirut, Lebanon. Explosives equivalent to around 1,000 kilograms of TNT were detonated as his motorcade drove near the St. George Hotel. Among the dead were several of Hariri's bodyguards and former Minister of Economy and Trade, Bassel Fleihan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Security Council Resolution 1595</span> United Nations resolution adopted in 2005

United Nations Security Council resolution 1595, adopted unanimously on 7 April 2005, after recalling its support for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Lebanon, the council established a commission to assist Lebanese authorities in their investigation of the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri in Beirut on 14 February 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Security Council Resolution 1644</span> United Nations resolution adopted in 2005

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1644, adopted unanimously on 15 December 2005, after recalling resolutions 1373 (2005), 1566 (2004), 1595 (2005) and 1636 (2005), the Council demanded that Syria respond to the inquiry of the United Nations International Independent Investigation Commission (UNIIIC) into the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri, and extended the investigation until 15 June 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Security Council Resolution 1664</span> United Nations resolution adopted in 2006

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1664 was adopted unanimously on March 29, 2006; after recalling resolutions 1595 (2005), 1636 (2005) and 1644 (2005), the Council requested the Secretary-General Kofi Annan to consult with the Lebanese government concerning the establishment of an international tribunal to try those responsible for the assassination of Prime Minister Rafic Hariri and 22 others in February 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Security Council Resolution 1686</span> United Nations resolution adopted in 2006

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1686, adopted unanimously on June 15, 2006, after recalling previous resolutions concerning Lebanon and the region, including 1373 (2001), 1566 (2004), 1595 (2005), 1636 (2005), 1644 (2005) and 1664 (2006), the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations International Independent Investigation Commission (UNIIIC) investigating the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri for one year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Security Council Resolution 1748</span> United Nations resolution adopted in 2007

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1748 was unanimously adopted on 27 March 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Security Council Resolution 1786</span> United Nations resolution adopted in 2007

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1786 was unanimously adopted on 28 November 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Security Council Resolution 1815</span> United Nations resolution adopted in 2008

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1815 was unanimously adopted on 2 June 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Security Council Resolution 1852</span> United Nations resolution adopted in 2008

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1852 was unanimously adopted on 17 December 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamil Al Sayyed</span> Lebanese politician (born 1950)

Jamil Al Sayyed is a Lebanese politician and a current Member of the Parliament of Lebanon. He is the former head of Lebanon's Sureté Générale or Lebanese General Security Directorate. He was detained and released after four years, from 2005 to 2009 according to a law he drafted himself, due to his alleged involvement in the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri.

Ali Al Hajj is a former major general and ex-director general of the Lebanese Internal Security Forces.

References

  1. ↑ "Security Council unanimously calls on Syria to detain suspects in Hariri murder". United Nations. 31 October 2005.
  2. 1 2 "Syria rejects U.N. resolution". CNN. 3 November 2005.
  3. ↑ Dralonge, Richard N. (2008). Economics and geopolitics of the Middle East. Nova Publishers. p. 154. ISBN   978-1-60456-076-3.
  4. ↑ Saul, Ben (2006). Defining terrorism in international law. Oxford University Press. p. 220. ISBN   978-0-19-929597-5.
  5. ↑ Bassiouni, M. Cherif (2008). International Criminal Law: International enforcement. BRILL. p. 188. ISBN   978-90-04-16530-4.
  6. ↑ "Security Council unanimously calls on Syria to detain suspects in Hariri murder". United Nations News Centre. 31 October 2005.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.