Poet Abdul Rahman Al-Qaradawi must not be extradited to Egypt or United Arab Emirates (UAE) – Africa.com
Responding to two separate extradition requests filed by Egyptian and Emirati authorities against Egyptian-Turkish poet Abdul Rahman al-Qaradawi, who was arbitrarily detained by Lebanese security forces after returning from a visit to Syria on 28 December Amnesty International Middle East and Sara Hashash, deputy regional director for North Africa, said:
“The Lebanese authorities must urgently reject requests from the Egyptian and Emirati authorities for the extradition of Abdel Rahman Qaradawi.
“The request for the extradition of Abdul Rahman Qaradawi, who was arbitrarily detained after making comments critical of the authorities in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, is believed to be based on his lawful exercise of his right to freedom of expression.
“It is not a crime to criticize the authorities. Abdel Rahman Qaradawi would face real danger if returned to Egypt enforced disappearance, torture and Other abuseand unfair trial lead to long term unjust imprisonmenthe will also face the following risks: arbitrary detention and Other human rights violations If he is sent back to the UAE.
“Forcibly extraditing him to a country where he may face persecution would be a flagrant violation of the principle of non-refoulement under international law.
“This case is a major test of the Lebanese authorities’ commitment to the right to freedom of expression. They must put respect for human rights and international law obligations above political ties and economic interests. The Lebanese authorities must reject the UAE and Egypt’s extradition requests and immediately release Abdul Rahman al-Qaradawi and allow him to travel to Turkey or other destinations of his choice.”
background:
Lebanese authorities are expected to make a decision on Abdel Rahman Qaradawi’s extradition request later this week.
During Qaradawi’s visit to Damascus in December 2024 photographed He himself walked around the Umayyad Mosque criticizing the authorities in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. The clip, which was widely shared on social media, sparked his arrest, according to his family and lawyers. He was arrested on December 28 at the Lebanese/Syrian border and subsequently interrogated by Lebanese security forces in connection with a 2017 default judgment by an Egyptian court that convicted him on charges including spreading “fake news” and sentenced him in politically motivated cases He was sentenced to five years in prison and requested extradition from the UAE.
On January 3, 2025, Abdel Rahman Qaradawi’s lawyers submitted an urgent letter to the United Nations special procedures calling for a halt to Egypt and the UAE’s extradition requests.
Abdul Rahman Al-Qaradawi holds dual Egyptian and Turkish citizenship and lives and works in Türkiye. He is the son of the late Yusuf Qaradawi, a famous Egyptian Islamic scholar. his sister, Ola QaradawiArbitrarily detained in Egypt for four years on false terrorism-related charges.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Amnesty International.
