Justice Minister Adel Nassar has referred a file concerning suspected illegal financial activities by several companies, including Hezbollah-linked Al-Qard Al-Hasan and Joud Company, to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, in a move that could open a new chapter in the State’s efforts to enforce financial regulations and strengthen institutional authority.

The referral comes as Lebanon remains focused on broader efforts to rebuild state institutions while also seeking to avoid tougher international scrutiny ahead of key meetings of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in Paris.

According to Justice Ministry sources cited by Nidaa Al-Watan, Nassar submitted the request to the Public Prosecutor’s Office last week, asking for an investigation into financial entities suspected of operating outside the legal framework, exceeding the scope of their licenses, or conducting activities without proper authorization.

The request specifically cites Al-Qard Al-Hasan and Joud Company, based on local and international concerns regarding the nature of their activities, funding sources and financial operations.

The sources said the move is part of efforts to apply existing laws after what they described as more than three decades of ignoring certain legal realities.

They stressed that the judiciary now enjoys a significantly greater degree of independence and that the minister’s role is limited to referring files to the competent judicial authorities and requesting legal action.

“The minister neither determines guilt nor innocence,” the sources said. “His role is to refer the matter to the competent prosecutor, who alone has the authority to investigate and take the appropriate legal decisions.”

According to the sources, Nassar’s letter falls within his administrative powers and requests an investigation into companies suspected of operating outside the law. The Public Prosecutor’s Office will examine the evidence and determine whether legal violations have occurred.

The ministry said the current phase reflects a changing judicial climate in Lebanon, characterized by stronger judicial independence and a noticeable decline in the political interference that had often affected the judiciary in previous years.

Asked whether the minister was effectively handing the judiciary a politically explosive file, ministry sources rejected that characterization, saying the move simply reflects the principle of enforcing the law while allowing prosecutors to act without political pressure or influence.

The issue has already drawn sharp criticism from Hezbollah.

On May 25, 2026, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem warned against any attempt to target Al-Qard Al-Hasan, saying any action against the institution would be met forcefully.

Qassem said that people would have the right to take to the streets, topple the government and defeat what he described as the “American-Israeli project.” He also warned that Hezbollah would regard those seeking to shut down the institution “as Israelis.”

Justice Ministry sources dismissed suggestions that judicial decisions should be influenced by such political statements.

“Turning legal issues into political disputes would obstruct the process of building the state,” the sources said. “Just as the issue of weapons remains a political matter, addressing any violation of the law falls exclusively within the jurisdiction of the judiciary.”

Reliable judicial sources confirmed that Public Prosecutor Judge Ahmad Rami Al-Hajj has received the minister’s request.

The sources said the submission consists of a referral without supporting documents and that Al-Hajj is expected to study the matter over the coming days before deciding on the next legal steps.

The case also comes against the backdrop of previous measures taken by Lebanon’s central bank.

On July 14, 2025, Banque du Liban issued Circular No. 170, prohibiting licensed banks and financial institutions from engaging in any direct or indirect dealings with Al-Qard Al-Hasan.

Despite those restrictions, Al-Qard Al-Hasan remains legally registered under Lebanon’s associations law, and no government decision has been issued to revoke its license.

Senior sources familiar with the issue told Nidaa Al-Watan that government and judicial authorities are expected to proceed cautiously given the sensitivity of the situation and the risks of triggering wider instability.

The move by the justice minister also comes as Lebanon seeks to avoid being moved from the FATF gray list to the more severe black list.

The FATF’s annual meetings in Paris began on June 15 and continue through June 19. While international pressure to shut down Al-Qard Al-Hassan is not new, the issue has increasingly become part of Washington’s agenda, with the institution widely viewed as Hezbollah’s primary financial arm.

Al-Qard Al-Hasan was established in Beirut’s southern suburb of Haret Hreik in 1982 following Israel’s invasion of Lebanon and received official authorization from the Interior Ministry in 1987.

Closely linked to Hezbollah, it evolved into one of the group’s most important financial, economic and social institutions, expanding to approximately 40 branches across the country.

During the most recent war, Israeli forces targeted numerous Al-Qard Al-Hasan branches and facilities in Beirut, the southern suburbs, the Bekaa Valley and southern Lebanon, including some located outside traditionally Shiite-majority areas. Thirty branches were destroyed, although the institution continued operating and repaired several damaged facilities.

Joud Financial Company, which emerged in 2025, operates under Lebanese commercial law and is widely viewed as a successor or restructuring vehicle for Hezbollah-linked financial activities amid mounting sanctions and restrictions on non-banking institutions.

The United States Treasury Department sanctioned Al-Qard Al-Hasan in July 2007, accusing it of facilitating Hezbollah’s financial operations and helping the group gain access to the international financial system.

Washington later expanded those sanctions to include officials and entities associated with the organization.

In February 2026, the United States also imposed sanctions on Joud Gold Trading Company, which it linked to Al-Qard Al-Hasan.

The U.S. Treasury said the company was being used to channel funds from Iran to Hezbollah and accused it of accumulating foreign currency to strengthen the group’s support base.