French Court Orders Release of Georges Abdallah after Decades in Detention
Georges Abdallah was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1987 for alleged involvement in the 1982 killings of foreign diplomats.
A French court on Thursday ordered the release of pro-Palestinian Lebanese activist Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, who was convicted in 1987 for complicity in the assassination of an Israeli and an American diplomat.
The 74-year-old Abdallah, who is considered one of France’s longest-serving prisoners having been imprisoned for nearly 40 years, will be released on July 25 and deported to Lebanon.
For 40 years, #GeorgesAbdallah has been imprisoned in #France, longer than any political prisoner in #Europe. Despite being eligible for parole since 1999, his release has been blocked for political reasons. He remains unbroken, calling himself a fighter for Palestinian… pic.twitter.com/RfUtxq53Yy
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) July 16, 2025
The Paris Court of Appeal issued its ruling in a closed session at the Palais de Justice in Paris, in the absence of Abdallah who is imprisoned in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in southern France.
Abdallah’s brother, Robert, told AFP that “We’re delighted,” adding “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.”
“For once, the French authorities have freed themselves from Israeli and US pressures,” he stated.
July 25 Release
Abdallah, a former member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and the Lebanese Armed Revolutionary Factions (LARF), was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1987 for alleged involvement in the 1982 killings of US military attaché Charles Ray and Israeli diplomat Yakov Barsimentov in Paris.
He was also accused of participating in the attempted assassination of US Consul General Robert Homme in Strasbourg.
Defense lawyer Jean-Louis Chalanset confirmed to al Mayadeen that the release will take place on July 25.
Fedayin, Audre Lorde, and Throwing Out the Master’s Tools – Georges Abdallah’s Fight
He said the US had exerted political pressure to obstruct the judicial process, and that the decision to release him was purely political, despite the legal requirements having been met for more than two decades.
‘No Legal Evidence’
Abdallah is one of Europe’s longest-serving political prisoners. He was arrested in 1984 in Lyon, France, on charges of possessing a forged Algerian passport after being pursued by the Israeli Mossad, according to Al Mayadeen.
In 1978, Abdallah joined the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and participated in the founding of the Lebanese Revolutionary Armed Forces in 1981. He was later accused of complicity in the assassination of the diplomats.
Georges Ibrahim Abdallah sera libre le 25 juillet !!! https://t.co/0s8LdoqM6F
— Rima Hassan (@RimaHas) July 17, 2025
Al Mayadeen further reported that according to the memoirs of Jacques Attali, advisor to French President François Mitterrand, in 1988: “There was no legal evidence against Georges Ibrahim Abdallah except for the forged passport.”
However, in 1986, the court sentenced him to four years in prison for possession of explosives. Abdallah was then retried on charges of “complicity in terrorist acts” and sentenced to life imprisonment. He was charged with several offenses, most notably establishing Lebanese revolutionary armed factions and complicity in the assassinations.
In 1999, Abdallah met the conditions for his release stipulated by the French Penal Code, and in 2003, a parole court ordered his release.
Parole Requests
The French Public Prosecutor appealed the decision, delaying his release. In 2005, the French Public Prosecutor opposed any decision to release him. In 2006, the French Public Prosecutor rejected Abdallah’s request for release, arguing that France’s image would be tarnished in the eyes of the United States and its allies, and that deporting him to Lebanon was no guarantee that he would not repeat the acts he had committed, the report stated.
In 2007, Abdallah’s lawyer submitted his seventh parole request, which was rejected on October 10 of the same year. In 2007, Abdallah appealed the ruling, and the appeal hearing was held on January 31, when the verdict was postponed until April 17, 2008.
Georges Ibrahim Abdallah is finally being freed after 40 years behind bars. A lifelong anti-imperialist fighter, one of Europe’s longest-held political prisoners. Georges never backed down, never sold out. He remained committed to his principles until the end. pic.twitter.com/QuOBdruZoy
— K.Diallo ☭ (@nyeusi_waasi) July 17, 2025
In 2013, the Paris Penal Enforcement Chamber approved his eighth release request, linking it to his departure from French territory. The Public Prosecution appealed, and the verdict was suspended. The French Enforcement Court also rejected Abdallah’s ninth parole request in 2014.
The court had postponed Abdallah’s release decision after a hearing held on February 20, considering that he was required to pay part of the compensation to the families of the assassinated American and Israeli diplomats, as a preliminary step to accepting his release request, the report stated.
Abdallah has repeatedly rejected this request, denying the charge of complicity in the assassination.
It’s worth noting that the French Court of Execution of Sentences ordered Abdallah’s release in a session held last November, but immediately suspended the execution following an appeal from the French Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office.
(PC, AJA, Al Mayadeen)