Overview

• Paris Court of Appeal ordered on July 17 that Georges Ibrahim Abdallah be freed from a southern French prison and deported to Lebanon by July 25, 2025.
• Judges deemed his more than 40 years behind bars disproportionate to his crimes and ruled that he no longer represents a danger to public safety.
• French authorities will transport the 74-year-old by military aircraft to Paris before flying him to Beirut for handover to Lebanese officials.
• France’s anti-terror prosecutors and the United States may appeal to the Court of Cassation, but any challenge is unlikely to be processed in time to delay his release.
• Abdallah’s case spanned 11 rejected parole requests under U.S. and Israeli pressure and has drawn criticism from human rights advocates over lengthy political imprisonment.