Lebanese lawmakers sue Hezbollah chief over ‘war threat’ remarks

BEIRUT/ISTANBUL

Lebanese lawmakers and political figures filed a legal complaint Wednesday with the public prosecutor’s office in Beirut, accusing Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem of making statements threatening war and civil strike in the country.

The complaint was lodged by lawmakers Ashraf Rifi, Elias Khoury, George Okais, and Camille Chamoun, along with former parliamentarian Eddy Abillammaa and Change Movement Party leader Elie Mahfoud.

On Aug. 15, Qassem said Hezbollah would not surrender its weapons “as long as Israeli occupation exists,” vowing the group would “fight a Karbala-style battle if necessary against the Israeli-American project, whatever the cost.”

He also blamed the Lebanese government for any internal unrest, accusing it of neglecting its duty to defend the country.

“Iran’s role in the region is over,” Rifi told reporters outside Beirut’s Justice Palace after filing the complaint.

“We confronted Qassem’s irresponsible and unpatriotic statements through a constitutional path to affirm that the state unites us, while the mini-state divides us.”

Okais, for his part, said Qassem’s remarks contained “serious threats of war and sedition,” stressing that lawmakers trust the judiciary to safeguard freedoms and civil peace.

There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah on the complaint.

On Aug. 5, Lebanon’s Cabinet approved a plan to place all weapons – including Hezbollah’s – under state control, tasking the army with drafting an implementation strategy by the end of this month and executing it by the end of 2025. Hezbollah denounced the government's move as a “grave sin.”

Israel launched a military offensive in Lebanon on Oct. 8, 2023, which escalated into a full-scale war by September 2024, killing more than 4,000 people and injuring around 17,000.

A ceasefire was reached in November, but Israeli forces have conducted near-daily attacks in southern Lebanon, claiming to target Hezbollah activities.

Under the truce, Israel was supposed to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon by Jan. 26, but the deadline was extended to Feb. 18 after Tel Aviv refused to comply. Israel still maintains a military presence at five border outposts.