French Court Orders Release of Lebanese Militant Georges Abdallah After Four Decades

A French court has ordered the release of Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, a Lebanese militant who has been imprisoned for nearly 40 years for the 1982 assassinations of U.S. military attaché Charles Ray and Israeli diplomat Yacov Barsimantov, as well as the attempted murder of a U.S. Consul General. Abdallah, sentenced to life in prison in 1987, is one of France's longest-serving prisoners and was the former leader of the Lebanese Armed Revolutionary Brigade. Despite being eligible for release since 1999, he remained incarcerated until this recent ruling, which comes after multiple appeals and legal battles, including pressure reportedly from the United States to block his release. His lawyer described the release as both a judicial victory and a political scandal, emphasizing Abdallah's self-identification as a fighter for Palestinian rights rather than a criminal. Abdallah is expected to be escorted to Beirut to live peacefully in his home village, while activists in France have called for his freedom, viewing him as a political prisoner. French officials have yet to comment on the court's decision, which has also sparked protests in Paris demanding his release.