Gebran Bassil who is a current lawmaker who leads the biggest bloc in parliament and is a son-in-law of President Michel Aoun, speaks to journalists at the presidential palace, in Baabda east of Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020. The U.S. treasury slapped sanctions Friday, Nov. 6, on Lebanon's ex-foreign minister and a leading Christian political ally of the Hezbollah group, according to the Treasury's website. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Gebran Bassil. (File photo: AP)

Lebanon's Gebran Bassil says he will fight ‘unjust’ US sanctions against him

Lebanon

Reuters, Beirut

Published: 08 November ,2020: 02:46 PM GST Updated: 08 November ,2020: 02:51 PM GST

1 min read

Prominent Christian politician Gebran Bassil, the son-in-law of Lebanon’s president, said on Sunday that US sanctions against him were unjust and politically motivated and came after he refused to break ties with Hezbollah to protect Lebanon.

Bassil, in a televised speech, denied US accusations of corruption. “These sanctions are an injustice and I will fight them and sue for damages,” he said.

The US on Friday blacklisted Bassil, the leader of Lebanon’s biggest Christian political bloc, accusing him of corruption and ties to the Iranian-backed Shia Hezbollah movement that Washington deems a terrorist group.

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