US Edition
France to release Lebanese militant after 40 years in jail for killing two diplomats
FRANCE, JUL 25 – Georges Abdallah spent 40 years imprisoned for diplomat murders linked to a Marxist-Leninist group opposing Israel and the US, with release delayed by international political pressure.
- On July 25, France will release him from his Lannemezan prison, Valentine Chapuis, AFP said, and he will be flown to Paris by military aircraft, AFP reported, ending a 40-year term.
- Rooted in the early 1980s, he helped found the Lebanese Armed Revolutionary Factions and was convicted in 1987 for complicity in killing two diplomats in Lyon, France.
- Despite more than ten release bids since 1999, Le Monde newspaper reported that no Palestinian prisoner has served over 40 years, with Abdallah's requests repeatedly denied.
- The Lebanese Communist Party hailed him as a principled `resistance fighter`, while Hezbollah described him as a `hero of resistance`.
- After his release, he will be flown directly to Beirut, Abdallah's family said they will meet him at the airport's honour lounge, then he will return to his hometown of Qoubaiyat in northern Lebanon.
123 Articles
123 Articles
After 41 years: French court orders release of terrorist Georges Ibrahim Abdallah
Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, longest-serving prisoner for crimes related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, to be released from French prison after serving 41 years and return to his home in Beirut.
Abdullah returned to Lebanon after his release was approved by the Paris appeals court – Although he had already served the minimum of his sentence in 1999, he remained in prison due to political pressure, mainly from the US and Israel
Associated Press News
Militant George Abdallah arrives in Lebanon after more than 40 years in French detention
A Lebanese pro-Palestinian communist militant has arrived in Lebanon following his release after more than 40 years in detention in France.
Despite refusing to allow involvement in the murders that led to their condemnation, Georges Abdallah considers them "resistance acts" against "the Israeli and American oppression".
Four Decades After His Imprisonment, France Can’t Stop Fighting Over Georges Abdallah
The prison gates hadn’t even closed behind Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, but French public opinion was already bitterly divided. On Friday, July 25, 2025, the 74-year-old Lebanese prisoner walked free after more than 40 years spent in French prisons for complicity in the murder of Israeli and U.S. diplomats. When his release was announced on July 17, politicians and pundits quickly rushed to frame the story: Was it a long-overdue legal decision, or …
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