A Lebanese man has gone on trial in Celle, northern Germany, accused of being a member of Hezbollah - a Shia Muslim group whose military wing is proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the EU.
The 35-year-old man, named only as Fadel Z, in line with German privacy laws, is charged with having played a key role in procuring products for Hezbollah's drone programme.
The German Federal Prosecutor's Office alleges Fadel Z joined Hezbollah more than 10 years ago, initially working in public relations.
Prosecutors stated that he became a foreign operator for the group's drone program in 2022, working first from Barcelona and then relocating to Germany in Summer 2023.
They declared that Hezbollah has been managing an extensive drone programme for some time. Following Hamas's attacks on Israel in October 2023, Hezbollah has reportedly fired rockets and drones at military and civilian targets within Israel.
By mid-2024, the group had amassed over 10,000 drones, and it is asserted that Fadel Z procured materials valued at around €1.4 million to facilitate this effort.
Tools he allegedly helped source include over 2,000 motors and 600 propellers from suppliers across Europe, China, and the US.
His methods often involved the use of front companies to mask his activities, and occurrences of drone attacks directly linked to components he supplied have been documented.
The ongoing trial is expected to last until August of next year, against a backdrop of increasing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, exacerbated by the recent escalation of violence in the region.
