A defendant charged with planning a terror attack on Israeli tourists in the immediate build-up to last July’s Burgas bombing has admitted to ties to Lebanese group Hezbollah, his lawyer confirmed.
The admission by 24 year-old Lebanese Swiss citizen Hossam Taleb Yaacoub came in a written statement, as he claimed an unnamed Lebanese man had charged him with researching and recording flight arrivals and bus routes of Israeli tourists to the country.
Yaacoub was arrested by Cypriot police several days before the Burgas attacks last July. He pleaded not guilty to eight charges including conspiracy and consent to commit a criminal offense and participation in a criminal organization.
Yaacoub initially faced 17 terrorism and terrorism-related charges according to police, but prosecutors dropped any reference to terrorism in the new charges without explanation. Prosecutors claim Yaacoub knowingly conspired with others to “abduct a person for the purpose of subjecting him to harm or attacking him to cause grievous bodily harm” and was prepared to carry out missions around the world on the orders of others against Israeli citizens.
He told a Cypriot court he had previously carried out “missions with Hezbollah” in Antalya, Turkey, as well as EU member states Holland and France.
The first official connection of the foiled Cypriot attack to Hezbollah comes as the EU faces increasing pressure to designate the Lebanese group a terrorist organisation in the wake of this month’s published report into the Burgas attack on Israeli tourists by Bulgarian authorities naming Hezbollah as the perpetrators.
The EU has repeatedly resisted calls from close allies the US and Israel to outlaw the organisation in line with their own long-existing policy, insisting the group makes a significant contribution to Lebanese society as its military wing is part of the governing coalition.
The EU has not formally responded to either the latest revelations of the former EU presidency holders Cyprus case or last Monday’s appeals to Europe’s foreign ministers by Bulgarian counterpart Nickolay Mladenov to unite in holding Hezbollah accountable for its latest attack on European soil.
Israel has repeatedly accused Hezbollah of serving as Iran’s proxy in its attempt to delegitimise the Jewish State, with Israeli President Shimon Peres last week calling on the EU to take action.
“The time has come for every country in the world, and especially the European Union, to add Hezbollah to its list of terror organizations,” he said.