A French court on Thursday ordered the release of Lebanese activist Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, who has served 40 years in prison for attacks on American and Israeli diplomats in France.
The former head of the Lebanese Armed Revolutionary Brigade (LARB) was sentenced to life in 1987 for his role in the 1982 murders in Paris of U.S. military attache Charles Ray and Israeli diplomat Yacov Barsimantov, and the attempted murder of U.S. Consul General Robert Homme in Strasbourg in 1984.
The Paris Appeals Court approved Abdallah’s release on 25 July on the condition that he leaves France, a judicial source said. A second source familiar with the case confirmed he would be deported to Lebanon.
In a February hearing, the Paris court said Abdallah should make an effort to compensate the families of his victims, according to a person familiar with the matter.
His lawyer said in June that about €16,000 ($18,546) had been deposited into his account, but the U.S. Department of Justice and France’s general prosecutor argued the sum was insufficient and did not come from Abdallah himself.
A source familiar with the case said on Thursday that Abdallah will not be required to pay compensation to the victims.
It was not immediately clear whether further appeals could be filed.
The U.S. Department of Justice and France's general prosecutor have for years vigorously opposed his release, and eight previous release requests had been rejected.
Neither Abdallah's lawyer nor the Lebanese and U.S. embassies were immediately available for comment.
Abdallah, 74, has remained a staunch defender of the Palestinian cause.
The Paris court described Abdallah’s conduct in prison as exemplary and said in November that he posed “no serious risk of committing further terrorist acts.”
However, the U.S. Department of Justice has asserted that his release would pose a threat to the safety of U.S. diplomats.
Washington has opposed Abdallah’s release, pointing to his past comments about returning to his hometown of Qobayyat near the Lebanese-Syrian border, given the recent clashes between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah.
Abdallah, the former head of the Lebanese Armed Revolutionary Brigade (LARB), was sentenced to life in 1987 for his role in the 1982 murders of U.S. military attaché Charles Ray and Israeli diplomat Yacov Barsimantov in Paris.
He was also convicted of the attempted murder of U.S. Consul General Robert Homme in Strasbourg in 1984.
According to Bloomberg News, the United States and Russia are working toward an agreement aimed at halting the war in Ukraine by formalizing Russia’...
A fire broke out at Cordoba’s historic mosque-cathedral on the night of 8 August but was swiftly extinguished, preventing damage to one of Spain’...
Wildfires driven by powerful winds swept through Greece on Friday, from the southern outskirts of Athens to the region near Ancient Olympia....
The Canadian government announced Friday it will join key allies in reducing the price cap on Russian seaborne crude oil in response to Moscow’s ong...
Washington, D.C., will see its federal security funding reduced by $20 million this year under a Trump administration plan, despite the president’s ...
A fire broke out at Cordoba’s historic mosque-cathedral on the night of 8 August but was swiftly extinguished, preventing damage to one of Spain’s most treasured architectural landmarks.
Wildfires driven by powerful winds swept through Greece on Friday, from the southern outskirts of Athens to the region near Ancient Olympia.
The Canadian government announced Friday it will join key allies in reducing the price cap on Russian seaborne crude oil in response to Moscow’s ongoing war in Ukraine.
U.S. President Donald Trump personally welcomed Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev at the White House today, ahead of a historic peace signing ceremony. The meeting sets the stage for a U.S.-brokered framework aiming to stabilize relations in the South Caucasus.
The world’s biggest dance music festival faces an unexpected setback as a fire destroys its main stage, prompting a last-minute response from organisers determined to keep the party alive in Boom, Belgium.
According to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck the Oaxaca region of Mexico on Saturday.
China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will send an upgraded ‘version 3.0’ free-trade agreement to their heads of government for approval in October, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday after regional talks in Kuala Lumpur.
A resumption of Iraq’s Kurdish oil exports is not expected in the near term, sources familiar with the matter said on Friday, despite an announcement by Iraq’s federal government a day earlier stating that shipments would resume immediately.
Chinese automaker Chery has denied an industry-ministry audit that disqualified more than $53 million in state incentives for thousands of its electric and hybrid vehicles, insisting it followed official guidance and committed no fraud.
According to Bloomberg News, the United States and Russia are working toward an agreement aimed at halting the war in Ukraine by formalizing Russia’s occupation of territories seized during its invasion.
A fire broke out at Cordoba’s historic mosque-cathedral on the night of 8 August but was swiftly extinguished, preventing damage to one of Spain’s most treasured architectural landmarks.
The Canadian government announced Friday it will join key allies in reducing the price cap on Russian seaborne crude oil in response to Moscow’s ongoing war in Ukraine.
Washington, D.C., will see its federal security funding reduced by $20 million this year under a Trump administration plan, despite the president’s repeated claims that crime in the capital is spiraling.
U.S. President Donald Trump personally welcomed Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev at the White House today, ahead of a historic peace signing ceremony. The meeting sets the stage for a U.S.-brokered framework aiming to stabilize relations in the South Caucasus.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment