Lebanese Militant Georges Ibrahim Abdallah Released After 40 Years

A French court has approved the release of Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, a Lebanese militant who has been imprisoned for almost four decades for attacks on U.S. and Israeli diplomats in France. The ruling allows for his release on the condition that he leaves France, with Lebanon being the intended destination.

Abdallah, once the leader of the Lebanese Armed Revolutionary Factions, was imprisoned in 1987 for his involvement in the 1982 murders of American military attache Charles Ray and Israeli diplomat Yacov Barsimantov, among other charges. Despite sustained efforts by the U.S. Department of Justice and French prosecutors to keep him detained, including blocking eight previous release attempts, the court has now ruled otherwise.

While the U.S. cites potential threats to diplomats' safety and Abdallah's previous comments regarding returning to Qobayyat amid regional conflicts as reasons for continued detention, the Paris court highlighted his exemplary behavior in prison as a factor for release. The issue of compensation to victims' families remains unresolved, though currently, no payments are required from Abdallah.

(With inputs from agencies.)