Hezbollah member convicted of conspiring to kill former Lebanon PM

A UN-backed court has convicted a member of the Hezbollah group of conspiring to kill former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in a 2005 bombing, Reuters reported.

While the court found no evidence of direct involvement by the leadership of Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, or the Syrian regime, the judges said the killing was clearly a politically motivated act of terrorism.

Delivering their verdict over several hours, they found main defendant Salim Jamil Ayyash guilty on all counts and said prosecutors had established his affiliation with Hezbollah.

According to Reuters, the judges said there was insufficient evidence against three other men charged as accomplices in the Feb. 14, 2005 bombing, and they were acquitted.

Hezbollah has denied any involvement in Hariri’s killing.