# Citation format — STL

How to cite, with worked examples. Read this before drafting any STL citation.

## The five citation modes

### 1. Statute provisions

**Form:** *Statute of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon*, art. [n], annexed to the *Agreement between the United Nations and the Lebanese Republic on the establishment of a Special Tribunal for Lebanon*, in turn annexed to UN Security Council Resolution 1757 (2007), UN Doc. S/RES/1757 (30 May 2007).

**Short forms:** *STL Statute*, art. [n]; or simply *Statute*, art. [n] after first use.

**Worked examples:**
- *STL Statute*, art. 1 — jurisdiction
- *STL Statute*, art. 2 — applicable criminal law (Lebanese)
- *STL Statute*, art. 22 — trial in absentia

### 2. Rules of Procedure and Evidence

**Form:** *Rules of Procedure and Evidence of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon*, rule [n] (revision in force at the date of the cited decision).

**Short forms:** *STL RPE*, rule [n], rev. [N].

**Worked examples:**
- *STL RPE*, rule 86 — victim participation
- *STL RPE*, rule 106 — review on arrest of in absentia accused
- *STL RPE*, rule 176 bis — sui generis procedure for the 2011 Interlocutory Decision

### 3. Decisions and judgments

**General form:**
> *Prosecutor v. [Defendant(s)]*, Case No. [STL case number], [Document Title], [Chamber], [Date], para. [N].

The case-number anatomy:
- **STL-[YY]-[NN]** — year of indictment confirmation + sequential number
- **Phase suffix** after the case number, separated by `/`:
  - `I` — Interlocutory (or Pre-Trial-stage, sui generis)
  - `PT` — Pre-Trial
  - `T` — Trial Chamber
  - `S` — Sentencing
  - `A` — Appeals Chamber
  - `R[N]bis` — Sui generis rule-based proceeding

**Worked examples:**

- The Ayyash et al. Trial Judgment:
> *Prosecutor v. Ayyash et al.*, Case No. STL-11-01/T/TC, Judgment (Trial Chamber), 18 August 2020, para. [N].

- The Ayyash et al. Sentencing Judgment:
> *Prosecutor v. Ayyash*, Case No. STL-11-01/S/TC, Sentencing Judgment (Trial Chamber), 11 December 2020, para. [N].

- The 2011 Interlocutory Decision on the Applicable Law:
> *Prosecutor v. Ayyash et al.*, Case No. STL-11-01/I/AC/R176bis, Interlocutory Decision on the Applicable Law: Terrorism, Conspiracy, Homicide, Perpetration, Cumulative Charging (Appeals Chamber), 16 February 2011, para. [N].

- The STL-18-10 case (Ayyash on related attacks):
> *Prosecutor v. Ayyash*, Case No. STL-18-10/I/TC, Decision to Hold Trial in Absentia (Trial Chamber), 5 February 2020.

- The Merhi case (joined with main case):
> *Prosecutor v. Merhi*, Case No. STL-13-04/I/TC, Decision to Hold Trial in Absentia (Trial Chamber), 20 December 2013.

### 4. Indictments

**Form:** *Indictment*, *Prosecutor v. [Defendant(s)]*, Case No. STL-[YY]-[NN], [date of confirmation by Pre-Trial Judge].

**Worked example:**
> *Indictment*, *Prosecutor v. Ayyash et al.*, Case No. STL-11-01, 10 June 2011 (confirmed 28 June 2011 by Pre-Trial Judge Daniel Fransen).

### 5. UN Security Council Resolutions

- UN Security Council Resolution 1644 (2005), UN Doc. S/RES/1644 (15 December 2005)
- UN Security Council Resolution 1664 (2006), UN Doc. S/RES/1664 (29 March 2006)
- UN Security Council Resolution 1757 (2007), UN Doc. S/RES/1757 (30 May 2007) — establishing the STL

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## The defendants in the principal case (Ayyash et al.) — names, fates

The four accused tried in absentia in STL-11-01 (after the death of a fifth, Mustafa Amine Badreddine, in 2016, against whom proceedings were terminated):

| Accused | Final outcome (Trial Chamber, 18 August 2020) |
|---|---|
| **Salim Jamil Ayyash** | **Convicted** in absentia of: (i) conspiracy aimed at committing a terrorist act, (ii) committing a terrorist act by means of an explosive device, (iii) intentional homicide of Hariri (with premeditation and explosive material), (iv) intentional homicide of 21 other persons (with premeditation and explosive material), (v) attempted intentional homicide of those injured. Sentenced to **five concurrent terms of life imprisonment** on 11 December 2020 |
| **Hassan Habib Merhi** | **Acquitted** by the Trial Chamber on 18 August 2020. Prosecutor appealed. Acquittal on appeal subsequently *reversed* on certain counts and Merhi convicted by the Appeals Chamber; Sentencing Judgment STL-11-01/S-2/AC of 16 June 2022 sentenced him in absentia |
| **Hussein Hassan Oneissi** | **Acquitted** by the Trial Chamber on 18 August 2020. Prosecutor appealed. Acquittal on appeal subsequently *reversed* on certain counts and Oneissi convicted by the Appeals Chamber; Sentencing Judgment of 16 June 2022 sentenced him in absentia |
| **Assad Hassan Sabra** | **Acquitted** by the Trial Chamber on 18 August 2020. Prosecutor did not appeal the acquittal |

Confirm the final disposition for any specific defendant by checking the latest publicly available STL document — the appellate phase produced developments not fully reflected in headline summaries of the 18 August 2020 Trial Judgment.

**Mustafa Amine Badreddine** — fifth original accused; reportedly killed in Syria in May 2016; STL terminated proceedings against him on 11 July 2016.

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## The principal STL cases and connected matters

| Case Number | Case Name | Status |
|---|---|---|
| **STL-11-01** | *Prosecutor v. Ayyash et al.* — the principal Hariri case | Concluded; Trial Judgment 18 August 2020; Sentencing 11 December 2020; Appeals 10 March 2022 |
| **STL-13-04** | *Prosecutor v. Merhi* — joined with STL-11-01 | Concluded with the main case |
| **STL-18-10** | *Prosecutor v. Ayyash* — connected attacks (El-Murr, Hawi, Hamadeh) | Tried separately; status check required for current disposition |
| **STL-14-05** | *New TV S.A.L. and Al-Khayat* — contempt | Concluded |
| **STL-14-06** | *Akhbar Beirut S.A.L. and Al-Amin* — contempt | Concluded |

## When the citation cannot be completed

If, after verification, you cannot identify the case number, document number, chamber, or date, the citation is not yet a citation. Narrow the claim, or tell the user what is missing and ask them to provide the source.