NNA - The Counsel for Mustafa Badreddine, Mr. Antoine Korkmaz, said on Monday that the legitimacy of international justice is at stake through the work of the STL.



Korkomaz warned of having this court be turned into a delusional one.



Badreddine's defense lawyer said that the investigation's dossier is filled with gaps and imbalances, affirming the presence of bids to cover facts through sham prosecutions during the court sessions.



"Politics should be left outside the doors of this trial," he said.



The lawyer deemed it imprecise to have the trial continue with the absence of those accused.



He said that the Lebanese government was adopting a policy of double standards and blatantly violating its duties by failing to cooperate with both parties.



Korkomaz said that a while ago, the Prosecutor accused a fifth person "who is now absent because his case was not yet referred to the chamber," however Korkomaz explained that the defense warned of commencing the trial before the annexation of Merhi's case.



"The legal qualification of the terrorist act is groundless," he said.



The Counsel explained that when the definition of a terrorist act stipulated that it aimed at creating panic among the people, then the attack of February 14 did not match this qualification.



Hence, he deemed the conclusions of experts not to fit the legal description of terrorism.



"There were no evidences on the presence of a suicide bomber at the scene of explosion," he affirmed.



Korkomaz said that the evidences presented by the Prosecution were circumstantial not material.


"The law does not accept such evidences and we shall challenge them," he explained.



Korkomaz said that the Prosecution did not summon any witness to confirm the participation of Badreddine in the attack.



He voiced a strong worded notice to the Trials Chamber saying that "he shall not spare a chance to put the STL before its responsibilities.



=================L.W.