Detlev Mehlis
Encyclopedia
Detlev Mehlis is currently the Senior Public Prosecutor in the Office of the Attorney General in Berlin
. He has 30 years of prosecutorial experience and has led numerous investigations into serious, complex transnational
crimes. He has been a senior public prosecutor since 1992 and has, over the course of his career, been responsible for prosecuting terrorism
and organized crime
cases. Most notably, he investigated the bombing on the discotheque La Belle
in then West-Berlin in 1986, which claimed the life of 2 US
soldiers and a Turkish
woman, and uncovered the involvement of the Libya
n intelligence service. He also proved the involvement of the terrorist Carlos and Syrian diplomats in the attack on the French
culture centre Maison de France, also in West-Berlin, in 1983, as well as the involvement of Syrian intelligence services in the bombing of a German-Arab social center in Berlin in 1986. Since 1998, Mehlis has been the Chief of the Contact Office of the European Judicial Network and Coordinator for the fight against organized crime in the State of Berlin.
In 2005, United Nations Secretary-General
Kofi Annan
appointed Mehlis as the Commissioner of the UN International Independent Investigation Commission (UNIIIC) into the assassination
of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri
and 22 other persons in Beirut. In October 2005, Jund al-Sham
threatened to slaughter Detlev Mehlis while he was heading the UN inquiry into the assassination of Rafik Hariri, claiming that Mehlis was connected with Israel and the CIA.
The Mehlis report
was presented to the Secretary General on October 20, 2005. It implicated Lebanese
and Syria
n Military Intelligence in the assassination, and it accused Syrian officials, including now Foreign Minister Muallem, of misleading the investigation. A second report, submitted on December 10, 2005, upholds the conclusions of the first report. On January 11, 2006 Mehlis, upon his own suggestion, was replaced by Serge Brammertz
, who upheld UNIIIC's conclusions under Mehlis. In recognition of his achievements in the fight against terrorism Mehlis has been decorated with the German Bundesverdienstkreuz
Erster Klasse (Order of Merit, First Class) and the French l'Ordre National de Merite.
In 2009 Mehlis was appointed by the EU-Commission to head the "European Union Philippines Justice Support Programme" (EPJUST). The program aimed successfully to assist authorities and civil society alike in fighting extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances in the Philippines.
While western media have announced that indictments against Hezbollah will be issued shortly by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, Russian magazine Odnako challenges the entire UN investigation. Thierry Meyssan
posits that the weapon (remote controlled missile with uranium enriched warhead) used to assassinate former Prime Minister Rafik Hairiri was built in Russia and supplied by Germany to Israel.
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. He has 30 years of prosecutorial experience and has led numerous investigations into serious, complex transnational
International
----International mostly means something that involves more than one country. The term international as a word means involvement of, interaction between or encompassing more than one nation, or generally beyond national boundaries...
crimes. He has been a senior public prosecutor since 1992 and has, over the course of his career, been responsible for prosecuting terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
and organized crime
Organized crime
Organized crime or criminal organizations are transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit. Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist organizations, are...
cases. Most notably, he investigated the bombing on the discotheque La Belle
1986 Berlin discotheque bombing
The 1986 Berlin discotheque bombing was a terrorist attack on the La Belle discothèque in West Berlin, Germany, an entertainment venue that was commonly frequented by United States soldiers...
in then West-Berlin in 1986, which claimed the life of 2 US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soldiers and a Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
woman, and uncovered the involvement of the Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
n intelligence service. He also proved the involvement of the terrorist Carlos and Syrian diplomats in the attack on the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
culture centre Maison de France, also in West-Berlin, in 1983, as well as the involvement of Syrian intelligence services in the bombing of a German-Arab social center in Berlin in 1986. Since 1998, Mehlis has been the Chief of the Contact Office of the European Judicial Network and Coordinator for the fight against organized crime in the State of Berlin.
In 2005, United Nations Secretary-General
United Nations Secretary-General
The Secretary-General of the United Nations is the head of the Secretariat of the United Nations, one of the principal organs of the United Nations. The Secretary-General also acts as the de facto spokesperson and leader of the United Nations....
Kofi Annan
Kofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
appointed Mehlis as the Commissioner of the UN International Independent Investigation Commission (UNIIIC) into the assassination
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri
Rafik Hariri
Rafic Baha El Deen Al-Hariri , was a business tycoon and the Prime Minister of Lebanon from 1992 to 1998 and again from 2000 until his resignation, 20 October 2004.He headed five cabinets during his tenure...
and 22 other persons in Beirut. In October 2005, Jund al-Sham
Jund al-Sham
Jund al-Sham is a terrorist group believed to have first appeared in Afghanistan in 1999, the group was established by Syrians, Palestinians and Lebanese with links to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who went on to found al-Qaida in Iraq and was subsequently killed by a US airstrike...
threatened to slaughter Detlev Mehlis while he was heading the UN inquiry into the assassination of Rafik Hariri, claiming that Mehlis was connected with Israel and the CIA.
The Mehlis report
Mehlis report
The Mehlis Report is the result of the United Nations' investigation into the 14 February 2005 assassination of Lebanon's former prime minister Rafik al-Hariri. The investigation was launched in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1595 and headed by the German judge, Detlev Mehlis...
was presented to the Secretary General on October 20, 2005. It implicated Lebanese
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
and Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
n Military Intelligence in the assassination, and it accused Syrian officials, including now Foreign Minister Muallem, of misleading the investigation. A second report, submitted on December 10, 2005, upholds the conclusions of the first report. On January 11, 2006 Mehlis, upon his own suggestion, was replaced by Serge Brammertz
Serge Brammertz
Serge Brammertz is a Belgian jurist, and the prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.Brammertz was deputy prosecutor of the International Criminal Court from 2002 to 2007...
, who upheld UNIIIC's conclusions under Mehlis. In recognition of his achievements in the fight against terrorism Mehlis has been decorated with the German Bundesverdienstkreuz
Bundesverdienstkreuz
The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany is the only general state decoration of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has existed since 7 September 1951, and between 3,000 and 5,200 awards are given every year across all classes...
Erster Klasse (Order of Merit, First Class) and the French l'Ordre National de Merite.
In 2009 Mehlis was appointed by the EU-Commission to head the "European Union Philippines Justice Support Programme" (EPJUST). The program aimed successfully to assist authorities and civil society alike in fighting extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances in the Philippines.
While western media have announced that indictments against Hezbollah will be issued shortly by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, Russian magazine Odnako challenges the entire UN investigation. Thierry Meyssan
Thierry Meyssan
Thierry Meyssan is a French journalist and political activist.He is the author of investigations into the extreme right wing , as well as into the Catholic Church Thierry Meyssan (born 18 May 1957 in Talence, Gironde) is a French journalist and political activist.He is the author of investigations...
posits that the weapon (remote controlled missile with uranium enriched warhead) used to assassinate former Prime Minister Rafik Hairiri was built in Russia and supplied by Germany to Israel.