Lebanese militant liberated after four decades behind bars in France

Georges Ibrahim Abdallah Released After 40‑Year Imprisonment

At around 3:40 a.m. (01:30 GMT), a convoy of six vehicles departed the Lannemezan penitentiary, lights flashing as AFP reporters observed. A source close to the case confirmed that 74‑year‑old Abdallah had exited the facility.

Background of the Arrest

• Abdallah was detained in 1984 and sentenced to life in 1987 following his participation in the murders of U.S. military attaché Charles Robert Ray and Israeli diplomat Yacov Barsimantov in Paris.
• The Paris Court of Appeal scheduled his release for “effective July 25” on the condition that he leave French territory and never return.
• Although eligible for release since 1999, prior requests were denied with the United States—a civil party to the case—consistently opposing him leaving prison.
• In France, life‑sentence inmates are typically freed after fewer than 30 years.

Post‑Release Transfer

Once free, Abdallah will be transported to the Tarbes airport where a police plane will move him to Roissy for a flight to Beirut, according to a case insider.

Legal and Family Perspectives

Abdallah’s lawyer, Jean‑Louis Chalanset, visited him for a final time on Thursday. “He seemed very happy about his upcoming release, even though he knows he is returning to the Middle East in an extremely tough context for Lebanese and Palestinian populations,” Chalanset told AFP.

During the court’s release decision, AFP visited Abdallah last week, accompanying a lawmaker to the detention centre. Abdallah, founder of the Lebanese Revolutionary Armed Factions (FARL)—a long‑disbanded Marxist anti‑Israel group—claimed for more than four decades he remained a “militant with a struggle.”

Historical Context

• After his arrest in 1984, French police discovered submachine guns and transceiver stations in one of his Paris apartments.
• The February appeals court noted that FARL had not committed a violent action since 1984 and that Abdallah represented a past symbol of the Palestinian struggle.
• Judges found the length of his detention “disproportionate” to the crimes and given his age.

Family and Reception Plans

Abdallah’s family said they plan to meet him at the Beirut airport’s “honour lounge” before heading to their hometown of Kobayat in northern Lebanon, where a reception is planned.