French Court Grants Release of Longest-Held Political Prisoner in Europe

After more than 40 years of incarceration, a Paris court has overseen the conditional release of Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, a Lebanese pro-Palestinian militant. He was held for his role in the 1982 assassinations of American and Israeli diplomats in Paris. The ruling mandates his departure from France, prohibiting any future return.

Represented by lawyer Jean-Louis Chalanset, Abdallah intends to return to Lebanon. Chalanset remarked that despite decades of imprisonment, Abdallah has sustained his communist ideologies and advocacy for Palestinian causes. This decision marks a significant political development against ongoing pressure from US authorities.

Abdallah's life sentence dates back to 1987 for aiding in the killings of US Army Lt Col Charles Ray and Israeli diplomat Yacov Barsimantov. Ray's widow, Sharon, was present during Abdallah's trial, condemning the brutal assassination of her husband in western Paris.

(With inputs from agencies.)