Hariri tribunal judge: Defendant Ayyash was Hezbollah member, used phone linked to attack

LEIDSCHENDAM, Netherlands (Reuters) - 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 Shi'ite 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 Salim Jamil Ayyash used the phone, Judge Micheline Braidy said, reading a summary of the 2,600-page verdict.