Naharnet

Berri Deplores US Sanctions Against Hizbullah MPs

Parliament speaker Nabih Berri deplored on Wednesday the fresh US sanctions targeting two Hizbullah lawmakers saying "they are an aggression against the whole country."

“This is a flagrant assault against the Lebanese parliament and most certainly against Lebanon entirely," a statement released by the Parliament Presidency said.

"On behalf of the Lebanese parliament, we wonder whether the US democracy has assumed the role of ‘presuming’ and ‘imposing’ sanctions against world democracies. We call on the Geneva-based Inter-Parliamentary Union to take the necessary measures regarding the "irrational behavior," added the statement.

On Tuesday, the U.S. Treasury placed two Hizbullah members of Lebanon's parliament on its sanctions blacklist -- the first time Washington has taken aim at the Iran-allied group's elected politicians.

The Treasury named the head of Hizbullah's parliamentary bloc MP Mohammed Raad and Beirut MP Mohammed Sherri to a terror-related blacklist, saying that Hizbullah uses its parliamentary power to advance its alleged violent activities.

Also placed on the blacklist was Wafiq Safa, a top Hizbullah security official.

It's the first time the U.S. has targeted lawmakers currently seated in Lebanon's parliament. Hizbullah and its allies won a majority in 2018 elections and the group has three Cabinet seats, the largest number it has ever controlled.

Source: Naharnet, Associated Press


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