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.
India's Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, resigned on Saturday, marking a significant victory for youth protesters who had been demanding that h...
U.S. President Donald Trump says Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will visit Washington next week as tensions continue to rise across the Mid...
Russian authorities said 11 people, including four children, had been killed by Ukraine in an overnight attack on a holiday camp, accusing Kyiv on Sat...
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 24th July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
U.S. strikes on Iran entered a 12th consecutive night, while Yemen's Houthis said they attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, urging President Donald Trump to warn Tehran it would be held responsible for any future Houthi attacks.
The U.S. military said it completed a fresh wave of strikes on Iran late on Thursday, marking the 13th consecutive night of American attacks. The latest operation lasted more than two hours, according to U.S. Central Command.
Spain has declared a national emergency and evacuated more than 10,000 people after uncontrolled wildfires reached the outskirts of Madrid. Emergency crews have rescued residents as multiple blazes continue to spread across the region.
Pakistan has reaffirmed its support for Saudi Arabia after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, warning that threats to Pakistani maritime interests could justify the lawful use of force.
Russian authorities said 11 people, including four children, had been killed by Ukraine in an overnight attack on a holiday camp, accusing Kyiv on Saturday of deliberately targeting civilians.
U.S. President Donald Trump says Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will visit Washington next week as tensions continue to rise across the Middle East.
Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto recently offered the dismissed Ukraine’s Defence Minister, Mykhailo Federov an adviser role in Italy.
Romania said on Saturday that it had shot down a second drone after it entered the country's airspace in as many days.
India's Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, resigned on Saturday, marking a significant victory for youth protesters who had been demanding that he step down over repeated leaks of examination papers.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment