A French court has ruled in favor of releasing Lebanese militant Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, 74, after serving nearly 40 years of a life sentence for his involvement in the 1982 murders of US military attaché Charles Robert Ray and Israeli diplomat Yacov Barsimantov in Paris. Abdallah, the former head of the Lebanese Armed Revolutionary Brigade, was also convicted of the attempted murder of US Consul General Robert Homme in Strasbourg in 1984.
The Paris Appeals Court ordered Abdallah’s release on July 25, conditional on his deportation from French territory. Abdallah’s lawyer, Jean-Louis Chalanset, welcomed the decision, stating, “It’s both a judicial victory and a political scandal that he was not released earlier.” Abdallah’s brother, Robert Abdallah, expressed delight at the news, saying, “We’re delighted. I didn’t expect the French judiciary to make such a decision nor for him to ever be freed, especially after so many failed requests for release.” He added, “For once, the French authorities have freed themselves from Israeli and US pressures.”
Abdallah has consistently refused to express regret for his actions, maintaining that he is a “fighter” who battled for the rights of Palestinians, not a “criminal”. Despite his past actions, the Paris court has described his behavior in prison as irreproachable, stating that he poses “no serious risk in terms of committing new terrorism acts”. The US Department of Justice had opposed his release, citing concerns about potential threats to US diplomats.
Abdallah’s release is expected to spark diplomatic tension, particularly with Washington and Tel Aviv, both of which have lobbied French authorities to keep him imprisoned. Human rights organizations argue that his prolonged detention, despite being eligible for parole since 1999, violated legal norms. Abdallah is likely to be deported to Lebanon, where authorities have repeatedly expressed support for his release.
The court’s decision may still be appealed by prosecutors to France’s highest court, the Court of Cassation, but it is not expected to be processed quickly enough to halt his release next week. Abdallah’s case has garnered support from several public figures in France, including left-wing members of parliament and Nobel Prize-winning author Annie Ernaux.