Hezbollah-linked men charged with UK terror offences after Lebanon training allegations
Counter-terror police charge two London men over Hezbollah training, membership and alleged terror preparations
Two London-based men have been charged with terrorism offences linked to the proscribed group Hezbollah, following a Counter Terrorism Policing investigation.
Annis Makki, 40, from north-west London, and Mohamad Hadi Kassir, 33, from west London, are accused of attending terrorist training camps in Lebanon and of belonging to Hezbollah, which is banned in the UK under the Terrorism Act 2000.
Makki faces additional charges relating to the preparation of terrorist acts, as well as alleged online expressions of support for Hezbollah and Hamas in October 2023
The Crown Prosecution Service has authorised six terrorism charges against Makki and three against Kassir. Both men were due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday afternoon.
According to police, the allegations against Makki include attending terrorist training at Birket Jabbour airbase in Lebanon in September 2021, preparing to assist others in acts of terrorism between February and July 2024, and belonging to Hezbollah over a period spanning several years.
He is also accused of expressing support for Hamas and Hezbollah in October 2023, and of circulating a Hezbollah video online that allegedly encouraged terrorist activity.
Kassir is accused of attending terrorist training in south Lebanon in February 2015 and again at Birket Jabbour airbase in September 2021, as well as long-term membership of Hezbollah.
Commander Dominic Murphy, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said the charges followed “a painstaking investigation” involving close cooperation with international partners.
“These arrests and charges follow a painstaking investigation by detectives of Counter Terrorism Policing London, who have worked closely with a number of overseas law enforcement colleagues during the course of the investigation,” he said.
“These charges are yet a further demonstration that we will take robust action against anyone here whom we suspect as being involved in terrorist activity. 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.”
Detectives first arrested both men at their home addresses on 1 April this year. They were released on bail before being rearrested on 10 December and subsequently charged.
Hezbollah, an Iran-backed Islamist group based in Lebanon, has been fully proscribed in the UK since 2019. Jewish communal bodies have repeatedly warned of the threat posed by Hezbollah-linked activity in Britain, particularly amid heightened antisemitism following the 7 October Hamas attacks on Israel.
Police have urged members of the public to remain vigilant and to report concerns via the government’s ACT counter-terrorism reporting service.
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