11/15/2024
A French court has ordered the release of Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, a Lebanese militant who has spent 40 years in prison. Abdallah, now 73, was convicted in 1987 for his role in the 1982 murders of two foreign diplomats: U.S. military attaché Charles Robert Ray and Israeli diplomat Yaakov Barsimantov. These killings were linked to Abdallah's involvement with the Lebanese Armed Revolutionary Factions (LARF), a group with ties to anti-Israeli and pro-Palestinian militant causes. Abdallah, who was arrested in 1984, is the longest-serving prisoner in Western Europe.
Although the U.S. and some in France have contested Abdallah's release, the court's decision allows him to leave prison on December 6, provided he departs France permanently. This marks a significant shift after years of denied parole requests despite Abdallah having served the minimum required time for parole since 1999.