Rights Center: Al-Qaradawi’s Handing Over to UAE is a Grave Violation
The UAE Prisoners Advocacy Center expressed its strong condemnation of the Lebanese Cabinet’s decision to extradite poet Abdulrahman Al-Qaradawi to the UAE.
The center stated in a press release that the Lebanese decision constitutes a serious violation of the principle of non-refoulement under international law, as Al-Qaradawi faces the risk of arbitrary detention, torture, and unfair trials if extradited.
The center called on Lebanese authorities to halt the extradition procedures immediately, warning that his extradition could expose him to a fate similar to that of hundreds of political detainees in the UAE, who endure harsh detention conditions that violate their basic rights.
The center reiterated that freedom of expression is not a crime and called on Lebanon to respect its international human rights obligations and protect Al-Qaradawi from any violations that may threaten his life or safety.
In the same context, the Egyptian Network for Human Rights warned of the “grave risks” that could arise from his deportation from Lebanon to Egypt or the UAE.
The network highlighted the “serious risks” of deporting the political dissident poet Abdulrahman Al-Qaradawi to Egypt or the UAE, given both countries’ track records of human rights violations, including systematic torture and inhumane treatment.
On Tuesday, the Lebanese government announced it had decided to extradite Abdulrahman Al-Qaradawi to Abu Dhabi.
The Lebanese authorities had arrested Al-Qaradawi on Saturday while he was traveling from Syria to Lebanon.
This came after he posted a video from inside the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, warning that the Syrian revolution was “under conspiracy” by what he referred to as the “Arab regimes of shame in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and others.”
According to Lebanon’s National News Agency, Al-Qaradawi, a poet and political dissident from Egypt who holds Turkish nationality, was interrogated by the Lebanese Public Prosecution regarding an Interpol arrest warrant issued by the Arab Interior Ministers’ Council.
The warrant seeks his arrest based on a conviction in absentia by an Egyptian court, sentencing him to five years in prison for charges including “spreading false news, inciting violence, terrorism, and attempting to overthrow the system.”
The agency stated that Al-Qaradawi underwent questioning in the presence of his lawyer and under the direct supervision of the public prosecutor. He was informed of the contents of the warrant and a telegram from the UAE requesting Lebanon to arrest him and extradite him to face charges of “inciting to destabilize security in the UAE.”
