Lebanon is at risk of FATF blacklist
One of the lesser-known and discussed topics in Persian-language media is the details of the financial and economic activities of Hezbollah in Lebanon. In recent years, the announcement of sanctions by the US and Europe against individuals and entities related to this organization has attracted more attention than anything else, and by publishing the names of sanctioned individuals and companies, more familiarity with the businesses and activities of Hezbollah in Lebanon has been provided to the public.
However, a lesser-known fact is that a significant portion of the financial and economic activities of this organization do not even have a commercial registration or official business activity in Lebanese soil. With Lebanon being placed on the FATF grey list, attention is once again drawn to this issue. Now that tensions between Hezbollah and Israel have reached their peak, the actions of this financial oversight entity have gained significant importance.
Lebanon, which has been facing severe banking crises and its economy was deteriorating, has managed to stay afloat with great difficulty and with the help of various countries. If this country ends up on the FATF blacklist, the situation will become even tighter for the government and people of Lebanon than ever before. A key point in this process is the diverse financial activities of Hezbollah in the Middle East and Latin America, which, apart from the official registration of some companies, has left little trace of itself in the form of official documents and records.
Inside Lebanon, the well-known Hezbollah charity institution, known as Qard al-Hasan, does not have an official website and does not operate as a financial institution. This institution simply exists. The Hezbollah Lebanon Qard al-Hasan institution, with its well-known director Adel Mansour, manages the financial cycle of Hezbollah and its forces and is active through connections to Lebanese banks in other countries.
ATMs are widely used by the members and customers of the institution in Lebanon, most of whom are members of the organization. The institution of Qard al-Hassan gained popularity and increasing support among the Lebanese during the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic crisis in Lebanon by taking advantage of the gaps resulting from the government’s inability, distributing food vouchers and interest-free loans. The sanctions imposed by the US and Europe against Adel Mansour and other managers of this institution and other financial institutions of Hezbollah had no impact on its operations within Lebanon, and the majority of the success of the sanctions has been limited to restricting its activities outside of Lebanon. However, this trend is not efficient.
The hacking of the institution’s customers’ accounts in 2020 and the disclosure of details of information related to a large group of them dealt a heavy blow to this institution and Hezbollah. All these blows and inefficiencies are compensated for by a structure based on dealing and cash flow and earning income from cryptocurrencies.
There is not much production going on and the financial aid provided to Hezbollah is being transferred in cash from Beirut airport to the Qard al-Hasanah Foundation and other financial institutions of Hezbollah. With the deadline announced by the FATF and the plans of the US and Europe to tighten the screws on the Lebanese government in this regard, important days await the government and people of this country. The Lebanese government has already granted many privileges to Hezbollah in this regard, and this organization, which does not pay any taxes, has easily put this country at great risk.
Persian
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