British police are investigating an incident in which Hezbollah flags were raised during Shiite Muslim commemorations earlier this month, Al Arabiya reported on Sunday.
The incident took place on October 12, during a procession marking the Ashura holiday.
Raising Hezbollah’s flag falls is against Britain’s anti-terrorism laws, noted Al Arabiya.
“By the virtue of Section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000, whoever shows a flag or any other instrument in public place, aiming at raising doubts on his/her affiliation or support for an outlawed group, is considered to have committed a crime,” said a statement by Scotland Yard sent to the Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper.
Several Muslim leaders in Britain condemned the politicization of the procession by raising slogans and chants that were not linked to the annual religious commemoration, noted Al Arabiya.
In 2013, the European Union listed Hezbollah's “military wing” as a terrorist organization, while distinguishing between its “military wing” and its political arm and failing to blacklist the latter.
In contrast, several Arab countries have blacklisted the Hezbollah organization in its entirety. Bahrain in April of 2013 became the first Arab country to blacklist the group as a terrorist organization.
Earlier this year, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) designated the Shiite movement for its "terrorist acts and incitement in Syria, Yemen and in Iraq".