Hariri tribunal judge says Hezbollah member Ayyash used phone linked to Hariri attack

LEIDSCHENDAM - The chief defendant in the trial of four Hezbollah members charged with conspiracy to kill former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri was a member of the Iran-backed Shiite Muslim group, and used a cell phone identified by prosecutors as critical in the attack, a judge said on Tuesday.

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon is "satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt" that the evidence showed that Merhi Ayyash used the phone, Judge Micheline Braidy said, reading a summary of the 2,600-page verdict.

"The evidence also established that Mr. Ayyash had affiliation with Hezbollah," Braidy said. Ayyash faces charges of committing a terrorist attack and homicide, among others.

The judges have not yet ruled on Ayyash's guilt or innocence. 

Presiding judge David Re said that there is no evidence that the leadership of Hezbollah, or the Syrian government, were involved in the 2005 bombing that killed former Lebanese Prime Minister.

"The trial chamber is of the view that Syria and Hezbollah may have had motives to eliminate Mr Hariri and his political allies, however there is no evidence that the Hezbollah leadership had any involvement in Mr. Hariri's murder and there is no direct evidence of Syrian involvement," said Judge David Re, reading a summary of the court's 2,600 page decision.

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon is reading the verdict in the trial of four Hezbollah members charged with conspiracy to kill Hariri and 21 others.