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Baird Commends Cyprus for Successful Prosecution of Hezbollah Operative

March 21, 2013 - Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird today issued the following statement:

“Canada commends Cyprus for the successful prosecution of Hezbollah operative Hossam Taleb Yaacoub on charges of belonging to a criminal organization, conspiracy to commit a crime and money laundering.

“This prosecution comes on the heels of Bulgaria’s investigation into the 2012 Burgas bombing, which also implicated Hezbollah. These two recent examples of terrorist operations in Europe add to the large and growing body of evidence on Hezbollah’s history of terrorism in the Middle East and beyond. They are a wake-up call that the international community can no longer afford to allow Hezbollah to operate unchecked.

“Canada urges the European Union to list Hezbollah as a terrorist entity. This will starve it of the resources vital to its campaign of violence and facilitate future prosecutions. It will send a strong message that the international community rejects all acts of terrorism at home and abroad.”

Canada listed Hezbollah as a terrorist entity under the Criminal Code in December 2002 and listed its principal backer, Iran, as a state supporter of terrorism under the Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act on September 7, 2012.

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