Despite Lebanon’s continuation of the complete lockdown with some minor exceptions, members of Hezbollah, including its MPs, ministries, and officials, were violated the state-imposed lockdown rules to celebrate in Baalbak the 41st anniversary of the victory of the Islamic revolution in Iran.
Lebanon has recorded almost 320,000 COVID-19 cases and 3,616 deaths since the virus was first detected last February.
Cases by the thousands continue to surge on a daily basis, with dozens of deaths daily, registering a record of 98 coronavirus-related deaths on Friday.
Despite the strict restrictions taken, the positivity rate is still considered dangerously high, standing at 22 percent over the past two weeks.
Yet, that didn’t hinder Hezbollah and its members from violating the complete closure. They went ahead and held a public ceremony in Baalbak, on Rayak road, to celebrate the 41st anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution of Iran.
The majority of the Lebanese people have been abiding by the strict lockdown measures, even though a great number of Lebanese families have been struggling to make ends meet as their daily income has been put to a halt.
Those breaching the lockdown are penalized with fines. It doesn’t seem the case when it comes to the Iran-backed party.
Lebanese writer and director of both theater and film Lucien Bourjeily took to his Facebook page to expose Hezbollah’s violation.
“Today, Hezbollah committed a clear and explicit violation of the general closure,” he captioned the photos in his post.
“Will the media tonight call them out for ‘not having a brain’?” he questioned with sarcasm, hinting to the media criticizing the people when they take to the streets to protest the dire living conditions.
“Will the ISF fine them?” he added.
The answer is known to all. Hezbollah members have been getting away with what is forbidden to others under the law, including attacking others with death threats and vile intimidations with no repercussion by the authorities.
We have a dedicated coronavirus section where you can find the latest news/updates about the pandemic in Lebanon, inform yourself with WHO-verified resources, and track the number of cases in Lebanon in real-time. Click here.