Nine years after the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri , a seismic event in Lebanese history , the trial of four men accused of his killing opened Thursday in a special United Nations-backed court . However , the stand at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon in The Hague was empty , with the suspects -- alleged associates of the Shiite militant group Hezbollah -- still on the run . Billionaire statesman Hariri was killed in February 2005 when a bomb struck his motorcade near the Beirut seafront . The blast ripped apart his armored car and destroyed the motorcade , killing 21 other people and wounding more than 200 others . It was a moment that changed Lebanese history , fueling the sectarian divisions between Sunni and Shiite Muslims in the Mediterranean country and leading to the withdrawal of Syrian troops . The special court investigating the assassination announced in February 2012 that Mustafa Badreddine , Salim Ayyash , Hussein Oneissi and Assad Sabra would be tried in absentia . They face counts ranging from conspiracy to commit a terrorist act to murder and attempted murder . Hezbollah denies involvement . Hearing streamed live . Presiding Judge David Re opened the trial , presenting the indictments against the accused . Thursday 's hearing also included the prosecution 's opening statements , expected to continue until Friday , according to the official Twitter account of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon . `` This is a historic day for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon as it marks the transition from complex and difficult investigations to the new phase of trial , '' said Marten Youssef , a spokesman for the tribunal . The hearing is being streamed live online . In Lebanon , television stations -- except for Hezbollah 's Al Manar -- broadcast it live . `` A day for Lebanon '' Youssef said the case was the `` first trial for a crime of terrorism in an international tribunal . '' It is being held in Leidschendam , on the outskirts of The Hague . Hariri 's son Saad , also a former prime minister , and other family members have traveled to the city . Speaking outside the court building , Saad Hariri thanked the Special Tribunal for Lebanon `` for the opportunity to find justice against the criminals who committed this heinous crime . '' `` Unfortunately the names of those who perpetrated these crimes are Lebanese , they follow a certain political party , '' he said . `` They are innocent until proven guilty . This is what we want ... justice , not vengeance . We never seek vengeance and hopefully by the end of this trial we will find out the truth and we will get the justice that we called for in Lebanon . '' He said the start of the trial was `` a day for Lebanon ; today is a day we fought for nine years . '' Hariri 's supporters say the businessman-turned-politician was killed because of his opposition to Syria 's longtime military presence in his country , and his death led to popular protests , nicknamed the `` Cedar Revolution , '' that led Damascus to withdraw its troops . Syrian troops were deployed in Lebanon between 1976 and 2005 , primarily in the north -- ostensibly at first as peacekeepers to help stop Lebanon 's long civil war -- but maintained a significant presence long after the fighting stopped in 1990 . Syria has denied accusations that it was behind the bombing . Car bomb . Shortly before the trial began , a bomb blast ripped through the northeastern Lebanese city of Hermel , killing three people and injuring 26 others , state news agency NNA reported . The explosion took place near city offices and a number of banks . Hermel is in the northern Bekaa Valley near the Syrian border and is known as a Hezbollah stronghold . NNA said a suicide bomber had blown up a car , and the army said expert teams were investigating the site . `` Army units in the region deployed and cordoned off the area , and a unit of the military police and a number of specialized experts came to the scene to investigate the site ... and remains found next to the car to specify the nature of the blast , '' the military said in a statement . Thursday 's bombing was the latest in a wave of attacks to hit Lebanon in recent months as the civil war in Syria increasingly spills over the border into its smaller neighbor . Hermel has been targeted before , with missiles launched from Syria , where Hezbollah has sent fighters and military advisers . U.S. to Americans in Lebanon : 'Exercise extreme caution '
Son of slain premier Hariri says start of trial ` ` a day for Lebanon '' Four suspects are being tried in absentia in The Hague . The attempted assassination polarized Lebanon and led to the withdrawal of Syrian troops . Earlier , a bombing killed three people and injured 26 in the city of Hermel in southern Lebanon .