The formal indictment names 12 Hezbollah members and one spouse after authorities intercepted a vehicle carrying a half-tonne of explosives bound for Beirut from eastern Lebanon. Although Hezbollah publicly acknowledged ownership of the confiscated military materials, lawmaker Hussein Hajj Hassan rejected the judicial proceedings, insisting the armaments were intended solely for resistance operations against Israel. The case has now advanced to a military judge who possesses the authority to issue formal arrest warrants for the eleven suspects who are not yet in custody.
Key points
Hezbollah publicly claimed ownership of the seized cargo and vehicle while demanding the…: Hezbollah publicly claimed ownership of the seized cargo and vehicle while demanding the return of the intercepted explosives.
A bilateral framework agreement signed in June requires the total disarmament of Hezbolla…: A bilateral framework agreement signed in June requires the total disarmament of Hezbollah and an Israeli withdrawal from southern areas.
A military judge now holds the formal legal authority to issue arrest warrants for the re…: A military judge now holds the formal legal authority to issue arrest warrants for the remaining suspects who evade custody.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
A Lebanese military court on Friday charged 13 people over their alleged involvement in shipping explosives to Hezbollah, AFP reported, citing a judicial source.
The charges come after authorities seized a half-tonne cargo earlier this month, as Hezbollah emerges from back-to-back wars with Israel and faces a push from authorities in Beirut to disarm its military wing.
Only two of the 13 have been detained, and eight have been identified, with the remaining five known only by their noms de guerre.
Proceedings have been opened “against 12 members of Hezbollah, and one of their spouses,” according to the judicial source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The case has been transferred to a military judge who is authorised to issue arrest warrants.
Two suspected Hezbollah members were arrested on October 8 in a vehicle headed towards Beirut from eastern Lebanon.
In a rare admission, the group said the vehicle and its cargo “belong to the resistance” against Israel and demanded the shipment be returned.
“These accusations are unjust and unfair,” Hezbollah member of parliament Hussein Hajj Hassan said on Friday.
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