Two British-Lebanese men appeared in a London court on Tuesday, charged with belonging to the banned Iran-backed group Hezbollah and attending terrorism training camps, with one of the two accused of helping procure parts for drones.
Hezbollah weapon factory in Lebanon © Mena Today
Two British-Lebanese men appeared in a London court on Tuesday, charged with belonging to the banned Iran-backed group Hezbollah and attending terrorism training camps, with one of the two accused of helping procure parts for drones.
Annis Makki, 40, is charged with attending a terrorist training camp at the Birket Jabbour airbase in Lebanon in 2021, being involved in the preparation of terrorist acts, being a member of Hezbollah, and expressing support both for Hezbollah and the banned Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Mohamed Hadi Kassir, 33, is also accused of belonging to Hezbollah and attending a training camp in Baffliyeh in south Lebanon in 2015 and at the Birket Jabbour airbase in 2021. He indicated not guilty pleas to the charges.
Prosecutor Kristel Pous told Westminster Magistrates' Court that Kassir was "an entrenched member of Hezbollah" and that images had been found of him "training in a Hezbollah-controlled camp and undertaking hostage training exercises in 2015".
Pous also said Makki had access to a "wide-ranging Hezbollah network" which was linked to facilitating the acquisition of parts to be used in unmanned aerial vehicles.
Judge Paul Goldspring remanded both men in custody until their next court appearance at London's Old Bailey court on January 16.
The men were arrested at their home addresses in London in April and rearrested last week when they were subsequently charged.
Commander Dominic Murphy, head of London's Counter Terrorism Policing, said in a statement before Tuesday's hearing: "I want to reassure the public that I do not assess there is an ongoing threat to the wider public as a result of the activities of these two individuals."
Reporting by Michael Holden and Sam Tobin
The Israeli military said it had begun targeted strikes in southern Lebanon on Wednesday in response to a "Hezbollah violation", a day after the latest round of U.S.-facilitated talks between Israel and Lebanon took place in Rome.
The latest round of U.S.-facilitated talks between Israel and Lebanon began on Tuesday in Rome and will continue through Thursday, State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said.
Maronite Patriarch Béchara Raï reiterated his support Sunday for the US-brokered framework agreement signed between Lebanon and Israel in late June, describing it during his Sunday homily as a "national path to resolving outstanding issues, consolidating a just, comprehensive and lasting peace, and preserving the state's sovereignty over its entire territory."
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