After serving nearly four decades in prison, France has released Lebanese fighter Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, who has been serving time for pro-Palestine since 1984.
A convoy of six flashing vehicles was seen leaving the Lannemezan prison in southern France shortly before 3:40 am (01:30 GMT), according to reporters with the AFP news agency on the ground. The 74-year-old was later freed after receiving a confirmation from a source, who later boarded a flight to Lebanon.
Long ago, Abdallah, who was found guilty in 1987 of assisting the murders of Israeli diplomat Yacov Barsimantov and American military attaché Charles Robert Ray, had been sentenced to death. However, numerous applications were turned down, frequently as a result of pressure from the US, which is a civil servant in Abdallah’s case.
On the condition that Abdallah leave and never return, the Paris Court of Appeal ruled last month in favor of his release, effective on Friday.
The former fighter appeared “very happy” during their final visit, according to his attorney, Jean-Louis Chalanset, “even though he knows he is returning to the Middle East in a very difficult context for Lebanese and Palestinian populations.”
Abdallah, the founder of the now-defunct Lebanese Revolutionary Armed Factions, had previously stated that he remained a “militant with a struggle” during a recent legislative visit. Submachine weapons and communication equipment were discovered by French police in one of his apartments prior to his arrest.
Abdallah has never regretted his actions and has always argued that he is a “fighter” who has fought for Palestinian rights and is not a “criminal.”
The Paris court stated that his inmate behavior was unreliable and that there was no “serious risk” of him committing new terrorism acts in November.
The appeals court cited Abdallah’s lengthy detention and his advanced age as reasons for his continued imprisonment, calling his continued detention “disproportionate.” In France, life sentences are typically commuted to less than 30 years.
Source: Aljazeera
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