Lebanon summons German envoy after Hezbollah ban

The Lebanese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nassif Hitti, yesterday summoned the German Ambassador to Beirut, Georg Birgelen, after Berlin’s decision to ban Hezbollah activities in Germany.

The Lebanese National News Agency said Hitti said Hezbollah “is a main political component in Lebanon which represents a large segment of the Lebanese people and is part of the Lebanese parliament.”

Meanwhile, the German ambassador explained that the decision was taken some time ago, and it had not entered into force until recently.

READ: Hezbollah leader condemns German ban as ‘submission to America’s will’

Germany designated Hezbollah a “Shia terrorist organisation” on Thursday as its security forces raided mosques and associations linked to the group.

According to the German intelligence agency, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, there are about 1,000 Hezbollah followers in Germany.

In 2013, the European Union banned the armed wing of Hezbollah, but resisted pressure from the US and Israel to ban the group in its entirety.