Several Lebanese lawmakers and political figures from parties and blocs opposed to Hezbollah have filed a criminal complaint on Wednesday against the group's leader, Naim Qassem, accusing him of inciting violence by warning that efforts to forcibly disarm the group could lead to civil war.
The complaint was lodged with Public Prosecutor Jamal Hajjar at the Justice Palace in Beirut by MPs Elias Khoury, Ashraf Rifi, Camille Chamoun, Georges Okais, former MP Eddie Abi Lamaa, and Elie Mahfoud, head of the Change Movement.
The group represents a range of anti-Hezbollah and opposition factions, including figures aligned with the March 14 Alliance, independents, and parties from across Lebanon’s political and sectarian spectrum.
Several have long advocated for curbing Hezbollah’s military power and supporting stronger international involvement, particularly from the United States, in backing the Lebanese state.
Hezbollah, a major political and military force in Lebanon, retained its weapons following the 1975-1990 civil war, citing the ongoing Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon until 2000. Its arsenal has been one of the country’s most divisive issues.
The complaint stems from Qassem's 15 August speech, in which he rejected the government’s unprecedented decision earlier that month to disarm Hezbollah and warned that such a move risked provoking internal conflict.
The lawmakers accuse Qassem of "inciting sectarian strife", "challenging state authority", and "undermining Lebanon’s stability".
Okais said the judiciary was "the way to protect government decisions", while Rifi described Hezbollah's armed presence as a source of division. Mahfoud said the complaint represents a "personal prosecution" against Qassem.
The complaint further accuses Qassem of threatening Lebanon’s internal security, undermining state institutions, and jeopardising relations with countries supporting Beirut’s disarmament plan, which has backing from Washington and other international actors.
Qassem's whereabouts remain unknown, and the case is unlikely to proceed unless he is located. Qassem assumed leadership of Hezbollah last year following the assassinations of Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine in Israeli strikes.
He replaced his predecessors Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine following their assassination by Israel days apart last year.