Militant Georges Abdallah, from Lebanon, to be set free from a French prison after four long decades
In a highly anticipated decision, the Paris Court of Appeal has granted conditional release to Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, a Lebanese citizen who has spent nearly four decades in a French prison for his involvement in deadly attacks on Israeli and US diplomats. The 73-year-old Abdallah, a former head of the Lebanese Armed Revolutionary Brigade, an offshoot of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, is scheduled to fly to Beirut on July 25, escorted by French officers.
The court's decision has sparked a political and diplomatic outcry, with the Israeli embassy in Paris condemning the release and calling Abdallah a terrorist responsible for heinous murders who should remain imprisoned for life. The United States and France’s General Prosecutor also opposed his release, reiterating solidarity with the victims' families and the severity of Abdallah’s crimes.
However, supporters of Abdallah, including some left-wing groups, characterize him as a "political prisoner" and a pro-Palestinian "resistance fighter." They view his imprisonment as excessive and politicized. Abdallah's lawyer described the court decision as both a judicial victory and a political scandal.
Abdallah has always described himself as a "fighter" who battled for the rights of Palestinians and not a "criminal." Expressing remorse is not a legal requirement, according to his lawyer, Jean-Louis Chalanset. Despite this, Abdallah has refused to repudiate the killings, according to US arguments. The exact role of Abdallah in the murder of the diplomats remains unclear.
The controversy surrounding Abdallah's release involves several key points. Firstly, Abdallah has spent nearly 40 years in French prison, making him one of France’s longest-serving prisoners. Throughout his incarceration, attempts at early release were routinely denied, although he became eligible for parole as early as 1999.
In 2013, a release was granted on the condition that he leave France, but the then-Interior Minister blocked this, keeping him in custody. This year, the Paris Court of Appeal ordered his conditional release on the condition that he immediately leave French territory, scheduled for July 25, 2025. The court reasoned that Abdallah posed “no serious risk” of committing new terrorist acts given his age and behavior in prison, which was described as irreproachable.
The court also stipulated that Abdallah must compensate victims for damages—a demand he refused, maintaining he is not a terrorist but a political prisoner. Furthermore, his release required deportation from France to Lebanon, where he is expected to return to his home village in northern Lebanon to end his life peacefully.
The US Department of Justice wrote to French judges to oppose Abdallah's hearing, stating that his return to Lebanon would represent a threat to public order. The Paris court postponed the ruling on Abdallah's release from February to July, following pressure from the US, according to reports.
Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State at the time, had called Prime Minister Laurent Fabius to ask for him not to be released. This pressure, along with opposition from French officials, kept Abdallah in prison despite filing 11 requests for release since 1999.
In summary, Georges Ibrahim Abdallah’s release is a highly charged development rooted in decades-old violence related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, French judicial decisions on parole, and polarized international opinions on terrorism versus political militancy. The controversy surrounding his release is likely to continue, with supporters and opponents voicing their opinions in the coming months.
- The Paris Court of Appeal's decision to conditionally release Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, a controversial figure, has ignited debate in Europe, with the Israeli embassy in Paris branding him a terrorist and calling for his continued imprisonment, while his supporters view him as a political prisoner and resistance fighter.
- The United States, France’s General Prosecutor, and Israel oppose the release of Abdallah, placing emphasis on his involvement in deadly attacks on Israeli and US diplomats during the height of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
- In contrast, some left-wing groups and Abdallah's legal team argue that his imprisonment has been excessive and politicized, asserting that Abdallah is not a criminal but a fighter for Palestinian rights, who poses no significant threat.
- The release of Georges Ibrahim Abdallah is a complex issue, with key points including the length of Abdallah's imprisonment, the French court's reasoning for conditional release, international pressure to block his release, and the potential consequences of his return to Lebanon.
