Hezbollah Member on Trial in Germany: A Look at Accusations and Implications

Wed Nov 19 2025 11:39:26 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A Lebanese man faces serious charges in Germany, accused of aiding Hezbollah's drone operations amidst escalating regional tensions following recent conflicts.

Fadel Z, a 35-year-old Lebanese national, has begun his trial in Celle, Germany, on charges of being involved with Hezbollah and its drone program. Accused of procuring materials worth approximately €1.4 million for drone construction, he allegedly became a key foreign operator in 2022. The trial coincides with heightened military tensions in the region and is predicted to last until August 2025.

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 said Fadel Z joined Hezbollah more than 10 years ago, first working in public relations.

In a statement, prosecutors said Fadel Z became a foreign operator for the group's drone programme in 2022, first from Barcelona in Spain. In the summer of 2023, he started working from Germany.

According to the statement by prosecutors, Hezbollah has been running an extensive drone programme for some time.

Following Hamas's 7 October 2023 attacks on Israel, prosecutors said Hezbollah had systematically fired rockets and explosive-laden drones at both military and civilian targets in Israel. By June 2024, it had built up an arsenal of over 10,000 drone units.

To procure such drones, the organisation employs foreign operatives who covertly purchase components in Europe and export them to Lebanon, prosecutors said. Fadel Z is accused of purchasing materials and products for drone construction worth around €1.4m (£1.2m) until he was arrested in July 2024.

The products came from companies in Europe, China and the US, including over 2,000 petrol and electric motors and over 600 propellers. He is said to have often used front companies registered in his own name or that of his contacts to place orders. Suppliers were also paid via these companies.

Fadel Z is also accused of arranging for the goods to be transported to Lebanon, either by container ship from ports in Hamburg or Spain or by air freight. Two of the engines purchased by Fadel Z were linked to explosive drones that Hezbollah used against Israel.

This legal proceeding is set against a backdrop of escalating violence between Hezbollah and Israel, which intensified after Hamas's attacks last October.

The trial is expected to continue until August next year, drawing significant attention regarding Hezbollah's operations and the regional implications of this case.