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18 July 2011
GPPi researcher comments on recent UN indictments in Lebanon
On 15 July 2011, the German online magazine zenith published an op-ed by GPPi research assistant Jakob Hensing on the current and precarious situation in Lebanon. The UN special tribunal established after the 2005 assassination of Lebanese prime minister Rafic Hariri has recently issued indictments against several members of Hezbollah. But the party-cum-militia, whose political arm is part of the current government, has long made clear that it is ready resort to violence to prevent an actual arrest of any its members, therefore the recently issued indictments threaten to further destabilize a country already suffering from deep divisions and a continuous political crisis.
Hensing argues that this situation exemplifies the dilemma of international prosecutions, which aim to establish peace through justice but have in fact repeatedly aggravated political crises. Under extremely adverse conditions, such prosecutions are susceptible to blunders and combine a low probability of success with high political risks. As a current member of the Security Council, Germany should advocate a prudent assessment of political realities before cases are delegated to UN tribunals or the International Criminal Court.
To read the article (in German), click here.
For further information, please contact Jakob Hensing.