BEIRUT: Hezbollah MP Hussein Moussawi slammed local media over reports implicating his brother in the formation of an auto theft ring, saying such claims will fail to harm him or his party.

“If the goal is to get me and those affiliated to me then I advise the liars and forgers of truth to understand that they will never get anything and that people like them tried for many years and centuries and were unable to extinguish the light of faith, freedom and resistance,” Moussawi said in a statement.

He also criticized those reporting on the story, saying they lacked professionalism and a sense of ethical responsibility.

Local television stations reported Sunday that Hatem Moussawi, the brother of Hezbollah MP Hussein Moussawi, had allegedly formed an auto theft ring that forfeited registration papers to resell the cars in a legal manner.

Reports indicated that police arrested members of the gang but that Hatem was still at large.

“If a citizen was condemned or accused of illegal behavior, what does it mean to mention the names of his brothers and all of his family members?” the MP asked.

He also said that his party is committed to the law and the judiciary without exception.

“We call for holding anyone accountable for their actions because our duty is to stand with the oppressed against the oppressor at all times,” Moussawi added.