Hezbollah sues Bahaa Hariri over blast accusations

Hezbollah sues Bahaa Hariri over blast accusations

BEIRUT--Lebanon's Hezbollah is suing the estranged brother of the country's Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri after he accused the militant group of being responsible for the massive explosion at Beirut's port earlier this year, a TV station reported Wednesday.

Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV gave no further details about the case filed against Bahaa Hariri, the son of late Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and estranged brother of Saad Hariri.

The move came a week after Hezbollah said it was suing former Christian lawmaker Fares Souaid and the website of the right-wing Lebanese Forces party for accusing Hezbollah of being responsible for the August 4 blast that killed more than 200 people and wounded thousands.

Hezbollah legislator Ibrahim Mussawi, who filed the case against Souaid and the website, told reporters last week that he also plans to press charges against Bahaa Hariri, a harsh Hezbollah critic who lives in exile.

 Strong words 

Last November, Bahaa Hariri spoke with Israeli writer Barak Rafid, a contributing correspondent for the US website Axios based in Tel-Aviv.

During the interview,  he expressed deep concern that his younger brother would in the coming weeks form a government that is “controlled by Hezbollah,” which should be considered a “terrorist organisation.”

“At the time of Rafik Hariri, Hezbollah