Senior Cleric Dismisses EU’s Blacklisting of Hezbollah as “Inhuman”
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Tehran's Provisional Friday Prayers Leader Hojjatoleslam Kazem Seddiqi denounced the European Union for putting the Lebanese Hezbollah Resistance Movement in the list of the so-called terrorist organizations, and slammed the move as “inhuman and illegal”.
“Lebanese Hezbollah acts to defend its nation’s legitimate rights, but they (the EU members) put the group in the list of terrorist groups. We condemn the move,” Seddiqi said, addressing a large group of worshippers here in Tehan today.
The Iranian cleric further referred to the EU’s decision as “immoral, illegal, and inhuman”, and asserted that Hezbollah will not suffer any damage by such measures.
His remarks came a few days after the 28 members of the European Union on Monday agreed to blacklist Hezbollah’s military wing.
The blacklisting would mean imposing visa bans on individuals and asset freezes on organizations associated with the group.
Britain and the Netherlands have been pushing for the blacklisting since May, but many countries had resisted, arguing that it could destabilize Lebanon, where Hezbollah is part of the government.
Hezbollah rejected EU’s decision in a Tuesday statement, saying that the bloc was bowing to pressure from the US and the Israeli regime.
“It looks as if the decision was written by American hands and with Israeli ink. The EU only had to add its signature in approval,” Hezbollah said.
The movement also said that the hostile measure “does not in any way echo the interests of the people of the EU and goes against the principles of the European people which are supportive of freedom and independence.”
On Tuesday, the Iranian parliamentarians also condemned the EU’s decision in a strongly worded statement, and dismissed the bloc's move as "inhumane and anti-Islamic".
