Demands for prison terms for supposed Hezbollah associates.

Acts of Violence and Fear - Demands for prison terms for supposed Hezbollah associates.

In a recent court trial against suspected members of Lebanon's Hezbollah group in Germany, the government's legal team is seeking custody for two defendants based in Hamburg. The 50-year-old Lebanese man is proposed to serve five and a half years, while the 56-year-old German-Lebanese man would face three years, as announced by the Press Office of the Hanseatic Higher Regional Court. The prosecutor's closing statements took place on the 30th of May, and the defense speakers are countering on Thursday. The verdict may be announced as early as the following day.

The two suspects were apprehended in the Lower Saxony regions of Aurich and Cuxhaven on the 10th of May in the previous year. The 50-year-old Lebanese man is believed to have been in charge of managing Lebanese associations across northern Germany, while the 56-year-old allegedly functioned as a foreign agent and a member of a special military unit. The former has been linked with the banned Al-Mustafa Community in Bremen since 2022, where he frequently preached. The latter has been an active participant and later leader of the Al-Mustafa Community since 2009.

The Hezbollah ("Servants of God") movement, a Shiite-Islamist organization, was banned in Germany from collecting funds back in April 2020, as per the Federal Ministry of the Interior. This group opposes the idea of international peace and rejects the existence of Israel, expressing a desire for its destruction. Their military objectives include not only targeting military installations but also civilians. Established in 1982, the organization is backed by Iran.

Press statement on the arrest of May 10, 2023, Press release from Lower Saxony's Interior Minister on banning the Al-Mustafa Community, Press announcement on the accusation.

Read also:

1. The German Federal Ministry of the Interior extended the ban on activities by Hezbollah in Lower Saxony, following the group's involvement in terrorism-related activities.
2. The Office of the Attorney General in Berlin is actively investigating several alleged Hezbollah-related crimes in cities like Hamburg and Bremen, as part of ongoing nationwide processes.
3. The latest developments in the Hezbollah terrorism case have led to increased calls for stricter prison sentences for those involved, such as in the recent trial in Hannover's federal court.
4. In the aftermath of the May 10th arrests in Aurich and Cuxhaven, the Ministry of the Interior in Lower Saxony issued a statement condemning Hezbollah's attempts to infiltrate various communities in the region.
5. During the trial, the prosecution presented evidence of Hezbollah's links with Lebanese organizations in Hamburg and Bremen, as well as their role in supporting terrorist activities abroad.
6. The concerns over Hezbollah's involvement in terrorism and crime within German borders have prompted renewed efforts to strengthen cooperation between law enforcement agencies at both the federal and regional levels.

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