Hezbollah insists that it wasn’t involved in the Hariri assassination and maintains that the tribunal is a “political tool wielded by the West” to put pressure on Hezbollah (the US is a staunch supporter of the tribunal). It has attempted to undermine the tribunal by portraying its members as motivated to undermine Hezbollah rather than to bring justice to those responsible for Hariri’s death.
Hezbollah has pressured Prime Minister Saad Hariri to end Lebanon's participation in the tribunal but he has refused to back down. In protest, Hezbollah and its allies left the government Jan. 11, causing it to collapse.
