Hariri verdict: Saudi Arabia calls for Hezbollah to face justice for its crimes

Bahiya al-Hariri, the sister of Lebanon's former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri, reacts as she prays at his grave, in Beirut, Lebanon August 18, 2020. REUTERS

• The foreign ministry said Hezbollah should be punished for the acts of terror they commit

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia called for justice for other Hezbollah crimes after one of its members was convicted for the assassination of Rafic Hariri in 2005. 
The foreign ministry said the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group and its operatives should be punished for the acts of terror they commit. 

The ministry stressed the importance “to protect Lebanon, the region and the world from terror acts committed by this group, that is being used as a tool by the Iranian regime.”
Hezbollah member Salim Jamil Ayyash was found guilty as a co-conspirator of five charges linked to his involvement in the bombing that killed former prime minister Hariri.
Three other Hezbollah members were acquitted of being involved in the attack on Hariri’s motorcade that killed 21 other people.
The killing of Hariri shocked the region and plunged Lebanon into a crisis as rival factions sought to strengthen their positions.
Hariri’s son Saad, who also served as prime minister, said the verdict showed Hezbollah was responsible.