Hezbollah said Friday it is suing a former Christian lawmaker and a website affiliated with a Christian political party for defamation after they accused the Iranian-backed Shiite terrorist group of being responsible for the devastating explosion at the Port of Beirut this summer.
The massive Aug. 4 blast was caused by nearly 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrate, a fertilizer that was improperly stored at a port warehouse for six years. The blast killed more than 200 people and wounded over 6,000, and extensively damaged several neighborhoods in Beirut.
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Hezbollah's legal representative Ibrahim Mussawi said the accusations, leveled by Fares Souaid and the website of the right-wing Lebanese Forces party, were misleading.
Mussawi, also a Hezbollah lawmaker, told a press conference outside the courts house that blaming the group threatens to disrupt social peace in Lebanon, at a time when the United States is exerting maximum pressure on his party and its allies.
The claim was dismissed by Hezbollah's leader. No evidence has emerged to link the group to the explosive chemicals.
But four months after the explosion, an investigation has yet to provide an explanation for what happened or hold any senior official responsible. Families of the victims have asked for an international probe, in a country where violent attacks and assassinations are rarely brought to justice.
Lebanon's port authority, security agencies and political leadership were all aware of the stored explosive chemicals at the port, documents have shown. The port is one of the country's facilities where rampant corruption has been reported.
Rights groups have called for an international investigation, citing political meddling in the Lebanese judiciary.
Souaid, the former lawmaker, tweeted in September that Hezbollah weapons stored in the port were the cause of the explosion.
"When the US administration's main concern and daily bread is to go after Hezbollah and attempt to pressure governments to put it on the terrorism list ... you'd gather that there are tools inside and outside that help with that," Mussawi said.
Souaid said he had no comment about details of the case against him, adding that lawyers would review it on Monday. There was no immediate comment from the Lebanese Forces party.
Mussawi said he also plans to press charges against Bahaa Hariri, the son of late Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, who is living in exile. He is also the estranged brother of Prime-Minister designate Saad Hariri.
Hezbollah has been designated as a terrorist organization by Israel, the US, the UK, Germany, Canada, Austria, Argentina, Colombia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Guatemala, Honduras, Japan, Kosovo, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Paraguay, Serbia, Switzerland, and Venezuela.
The Arab League branded Hezbollah as a terrorist group in 2016, as did the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council representing Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar.
The EU has designated only Hezbollah's military wing as a terrorist group, as have France, Australia, and New Zealand.
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