Domestic: First trial against suspected Hezbollah members

For the first time in Germany, a trial against two suspected members of the Lebanese Hezbollah began on Friday. Before the Hanseatic Higher Regional Court in Hamburg, a representative of the Federal Prosecutor’s Office accused the defendants arrested in Lower Saxony of membership in a foreign terrorist organization. As officials of Hezbollah (“Party of God”), they are said to have been a link between the association and Lebanese communities in Germany.

The federal government considers Hezbollah a terrorist organization

According to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, the terrorist organization has been banned from operating in Germany since the end of April 2020. The Federal Prosecutor’s Office explained that the Shiite Islamist organization was directed against the idea of ​​international understanding. They deny Israel’s right to exist and strive for its destruction. In addition to attacks on military targets, Hezbollah also sees attacks on civilians as a legitimate means of combat.

The organization, founded in 1982, is supported by Iran. It was represented as a party in the Lebanese parliament and was involved in the government in Beirut several times, said senior public prosecutor Helmut Grauer. The various wings of Hezbollah are not independent, but are led by a religious council and Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah.

Devastating suicide attacks in Beirut

Grauer cited several major Hezbollah attacks, including the devastating 1983 suicide bombings on the U.S. Embassy and U.S. Marines headquarters in Beirut, as well as the site of the French contingent of a multinational peacekeeping force. A total of around 360 people were killed.

On February 14, 2005, a Hezbollah commando carried out a bomb attack in Beirut that killed former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and 21 other people and injured at least 226 people. Since the Palestinian Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, Hezbollah has attacked Israeli military units several times.

Defendant allegedly active in a banned Bremen club

The two defendants – a 49-year-old Lebanese and a 55-year-old German-Lebanese – were arrested on May 10 last year in the Lower Saxony districts of Aurich and Cuxhaven. According to the Federal Prosecutor’s Office, the 49-year-old looked after Lebanese clubs, especially in northern Germany. He appeared regularly as a preacher for several years, for example at the Al-Mustafa community in Bremen, which was banned in 2022. The 55-year-old is said to have worked as a foreign official and a member of an elite military unit. According to the information, from 2009 he was active as a member and later chairman of the Al-Mustafa community.

Defendant admits sympathy for Hezbollah

After the indictment was read out, the 49-year-old described his life story in detail. First, he apologized for the inconvenience he had caused the court and the German state. He asked the interpreter to translate faithfully and declared that he was putting his matter in God’s hands. He then discussed his childhood and youth during the Lebanese civil war (1975-1990). He was a scout in the Shiite Amal movement and later led scout groups. The clubs he had contact with were also more close to Amal. However, he admitted that he sympathized with the “Shiite party” – as he called Hezbollah. However, he did not join any organization.

Judge sees need for clarification

Due to time constraints, those involved in the trial were no longer able to question the defendant. The chairwoman of the State Security Senate, Petra Wende-Spors, indicated that there was a need for clarification: “We have evidence that may not be quite as compatible with what you have presented to us here,” said the judge. The second defendant also wants to speak out at the next hearing.