Overview

• Abdallah was convicted in 1987 of complicity in the assassinations of an American and an Israeli diplomat and has been held since 1984, making him one of France’s longest-serving inmates.
• On July 17 judges ruled that continuing to detain the 74-year-old militant is now disproportionate given his age and lack of current threat to public order.
• Release is conditional on Abdallah leaving France immediately and facing a lifetime ban on return, while the prosecutor general may lodge a non-suspensive appeal.
• Abdallah has consistently refused to renounce his convictions or compensate victims, insisting on his status as a political prisoner.
• The United States and Israel have long opposed his release at every stage, whereas Lebanon has officially pledged to receive him upon his expulsion.