The family of a Hezbollah member convicted in the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri described Thursday the guilty verdict handed down by a U.N.-backed tribunal as a "grave injustice."
The comment was the first by relatives of Salim Ayyash, who was found guilty as a co-conspirator in five charges linked to his involvement in the suicide truck bombing that killed Hariri and 21 others in a huge blast 15 years ago.
It was released in a statement distributed by Hezbollah.The Shiite Muslim group has consistently denied involvement in Hariri's killing, calling it a conspiracy against it and has vowed not to hand over any suspects. Ayyash, 56, has been at large and is not likely to serve time. A hearing will be held at a later date to determine his sentence.