Arrest warrants were issued against four Hezbollah members by Judge Ghada Abu Alwan in Lebanon’s military court on Tuesday, after the terrorists were accused of smuggling weapons into southern Lebanon, according to a statement by the Kataeb Party and reports in local media.
Two of the suspects admitted to transporting 21 Grad missiles, 3,000 rounds of ammunition and eight machine guns from the Bekaa Valley to southern Lebanon after being arrested in the Mount Lebanon area, Asharq al-Aswat reported, citing a judicial source.
The men said they were moving the weapons to confront the IDF and claimed the attacks were protected under international law as an act of resistance.
Two of the warrants were issued in absentia by Judge Alwan, who ordered the detention based on charges filed by the Government Commissioner to the Military Court, Judge Claude Ghanem, for the unlicensed possession and transportation of weapons and for exposing Lebanon to hostile actions.
An additional two Hezbollah members are being questioned by Military Investigative Judge George Mezher in connection with the alleged transportation of six machine guns and four pistols.
The case comes only weeks after Lebanon banned military activities by Hezbollah in response to the group’s attacks against Israel following the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Lebanon issues warrants over Hezbollah weapons transport case
A lawyer representing the terrorists has reportedly requested that the charges be dismissed or that the men be allowed bail, but a judicial source told local media that the judge would likely reject the petition.
The source added that the weapons would likely be transferred to the custody of the Lebanese military.
Lawyers associated with Hezbollah showed up to the trial in dozens, attempting to pressure the judge into considering the smuggling attempt a misdemeanour and not a felony, according to the Greater Lebanon news site.
The men are being held under Article 288 of the Penal Code, in conjunction with Article 24 of the Military Justice Law, which constitutes a felony rather than a misdemeanour, according to LBCI.
The lawyers are reportedly hoping to avoid a precedent from being set that would allow judges to more easily detain members of the terror group.
Protests also reportedly broke out outside the presidential palace in support of the Hezbollah detainees, according to local media.
In a separate case, four Hezbollah members were acquitted by a military court on March 9 after a six-day detention, with each paying bail equivalent to $21, according to Lebanese outlet L’Orient Today.