Legal complaints have been filed in Lebanon against senior Hezbollah figures, accusing them of endangering the country’s security and threatening the lives of Lebanese citizens, according to a report by the Saudi newspaper Al-Sharq Al-Awsat.
The most recent lawsuit was submitted by Lebanese parliamentarian Sami Jumblatt, a member of the Christian Phalangist party, targeting Faisal Shukr, Hezbollah’s head of the Bekaa region. The charges include incitement to murder, incitement to violence, incitement to sectarian strife and endangering Lebanon’s security, sovereignty, unity or borders.
In addition, complaints have been filed against Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem by lawyers, journalists and activists. These legal actions follow statements he made during the Israel-Iran conflict, where he expressed full support for Iran. Plaintiffs described Qassem’s remarks as a direct threat to state policy, encouragement of rebellion and a danger to the security of the Lebanese people.
While the lawsuits may not immediately lead to legal proceedings, the report highlighted their significance in breaking the climate of fear among Lebanese citizens who had previously been reluctant to pursue such cases.
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Residents of southern Lebanon have also taken legal action against Hezbollah, accusing the group of storing missiles, weapons and ammunition beneath residential buildings and near civilians as well as digging tunnels in cities and under homes without homeowners’ knowledge — activities that have resulted in Israeli attacks on those areas.
A legal source told Ba-Sharq Al-Awsat that many lawyers declined to represent these cases to avoid harassment from individuals linked to Hezbollah, forcing plaintiffs to file complaints on their own.
Some plaintiffs additionally reported thefts from their businesses by unidentified perpetrators, attributing the incidents to Hezbollah’s control over the regions where their businesses operate.