Hezbollah Condemns Australia's Decision to Designate Movement as Terrorist

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Lebanon-based Shia movement Hezbollah condemned on Wednesday Australia's decision to declare it a terrorist organization.

Earlier in the day, Australia announced that it had included the entirety of Hezbollah, and not just its military wing, on the list of terrorist organizations. The move will allow Canberra to open criminal cases against members of the movement or those funding it on Australian soil.

Hezbollah has criticized the decision as "a humiliating submission to American and Zionist diktats," the Al-Mayadeen broadcaster quoted it as saying. Hezbollah also noted that the designation will not affect the morale of its members nor the activities of the organization, as cited in the report.

Hezbollah is an Iran-backed Lebanese Shia political party with a militant wing founded in the 1980s. It is considered a terrorist organization by Israel and a number of Western countries, including the United States.