The sentence for Hariri's assassination divides Lebanese society

The tension is palpable in Lebanon. Pessimism has gripped every corner of the land of cedars, just two weeks after an explosion in the port of Beirut killed more than 175 people and injured more than 6,000. Lebanese society is trying to recover from this disaster, while the uncertainty surrounding the verdict of the international tribunal trying the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri continues to grow. 

It was on the morning of 14 February 2005 that former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was killed when a car bomb exploded as his convoy passed in a street in central Beirut. Fifteen and a half years later, Bahaa Hariri, a Lebanese businessman and Rafik Hariri's son, has asked the Lebanese to remain calm once this verdict is revealed. "We want to know the truth about the assassination, but we must protect Lebanon," he said in an official statement, calling on the Lebanese people to remain "calm" and refrain from "unnecessary reactions of anger. 

The verdict of this trial could further exacerbate the divisions that have existed in the country since the 1975-1990 civil war. Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed organization, has denied any role in Hariri's assassination and has dismissed the indictment issued by the Netherlands-based court. Since 2014, the court has been trying four members of the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah - Salim Jamil Ayyash, Hassan Habib Merhi, Assad Hassan Sabra and Hussein Hassan Oneissi - for allegedly conspiring to commit the terrorist attack that killed Hariri and 21 others.  

This court postponed the date on which it was due to deliver its judgement until 18 August, following the disaster in Beirut almost two weeks ago. The suspects tried in absentia face charges of conspiracy to commit the attack, in which Hariri and 21 others were killed, as well as the attempted murder of the 231 injured. This Tuesday, after being delayed several times, the Court will deliver its ruling declaring the innocence or guilt of these people, although it will be necessary to wait to discover the penalty to which they will be sentenced, if that is the case. 

Bahaa Hariri, who returned to the Lebanese political scene a few months ago following the protest movement launched on 17 October, has highlighted the need to "rid the country of the corrupt and the political class that is organising the planned destruction of Lebanon", according to statements collected by L'Orient Jour. This crime was a milestone in the history of Lebanon and had a great impact on the political reality of the country. Fifteen years later, this trial and the deep health crisis this country is going through have reopened old wounds. 

"Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri will travel to The Hague to participate in the session of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon scheduled for Tuesday, where the verdict on Hariri and his colleagues will be announced. After the verdict, Prime Minister Hariri will make a statement on the ruling," he said on Twitter. 

The death of the former Lebanese prime minister was a severe blow to a country torn by sectarian and political divisions, and in which his political forces were largely linked to foreign countries. Opposition leaders at the time accused Syria of being behind the assassination, but Damascus denied any connection to this incident. 

The country of cedars is now facing another unprecedented crisis.  The emergency situation caused by the explosion in the port of Beirut led to a relaxation of precautionary measures against COVID-19, causing the number of cases to soar in recent days. Acting Health Minister Hamad Hassan said in an interview with Voice of Lebanon radio that the situation in his country poses a real challenge.  "We declared a general state of alert today and we need a courageous decision to close (the country) for two weeks," he added after reporting that Lebanon had recorded six deaths and 439 new infections on Sunday. "The recent figures are shocking and we need strict measures, because the situation is no longer tolerable," he had warned the day before. 

The interim government's health minister has reported that most hospitals in Beirut are full of patients infected with COVID-19. "I think the capacity of government and private hospitals in the capital in particular has become difficult," he said. "I think the capacity of government and private hospitals in the capital in particular has become difficult," he said. 

These measures are a challenge for a country whose economy has collapsed in recent months. In this scenario, the Lebanese judge Fadi Sawan, in charge of the investigation of the explosion of 4 August in Beirut, has announced his decision to transfer the case to the military jurisdiction as he has not been able to obtain the assignment of a judicial assistant. More than 10 days after this tragedy took place, anger has been unleashed in this small nation. Still, its president, Michel Aoun, said this weekend that while he understood the popular discontent, he ruled out resigning because that would create a power vacuum.