An Urgent Appeal to the Lebanese Government

The Arab Council makes an urgent appeal to the Lebanese government to release Egyptian poet and activist Abdel Rahman Youssef Al-Qaradawi, who was detained on Saturday, December 28, 2024, upon his arrival in Lebanon from Syria, where he had gone to join Syrians in celebrating the victory of their revolution.

The Arab Council calls on the Lebanese authorities not to comply with the request of the Egyptian authorities to extradite poet Abdel Rahman Youssef based on an Egyptian Interpol warrant, which is founded on unjust sentences due to his views, writings, and poetry. The Council affirms that the mentioned warrant is part of the Egyptian authorities’ efforts to persecute their political opponents abroad. His extradition to Egypt would put his life, freedom, and physical integrity at great risk.

The Council stresses that extraditing him under these grave dangers would be a blatant violation of Lebanon’s obligations under the Convention Against Torture, to which it is a signatory. Article 3 of this Convention states that “no State shall expel, return, or extradite a person to another State where there are substantial grounds for believing that he would be in danger of being subjected to torture.”

Furthermore, such an action would clearly violate Article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which guarantees the right to a fair trial, and Article 7 of the same Covenant, which prohibits torture or cruel treatment.

It would also violate Lebanon’s own legal system. The Lebanese Criminal Procedure Law stipulates that accusations against individuals must be verified and guarantees their rights. Extradition is not permitted if the charges against an individual are political or if there is a risk to their life or fundamental rights.

On behalf of the Arab Council
President Moncef Marzouki