United Nations Radio

The latest report by the Independent Investigation Commission looking into the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri says that a criminal network was responsible for the terrorist attack that killed him and 22 others three years ago.

This is the first report by the panel since former Canadian prosecutor Daniel Bellemare (photo) took over as Commissioner at the beginning of the year.

UN spokesperson Michele Montas said the Secretary-General has submitted the report to the Security Council.

"The Commission reports that it has evidence that a network of individuals acted in concert to carry out Hariri's assassination and that this criminal network, or parts of it, are linked to some of the other cases within the Commission's mandate."

According to the Secretary-General, the priority of the Commission now is to determine the scope of the network and the identity of its participants.

The Commission is supposed to hand over its work to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon soon to be set up in the Netherlands.

Reporting for UN Radio, I'm Bissera Kostova.