Abdul Rahman al-Qaradawi, an Egyptian activist and poet, was detained by Lebanese authorities after arriving from Syria. The arrest is linked to an Egyptian warrant, according to a Lebanese official.
Al-Qaradawi, the son of the late Muslim Brotherhood leader Yusuf al-Qaradawi, was taken into custody over the weekend at the Masnaa border crossing. A Lebanese judicial official confirmed that the arrest was based on an Egyptian arrest warrant. The warrant stems from a conviction in absentia, sentencing al-Qaradawi to five years in prison for charges of “opposing the state and inciting terrorism.”
In response to the arrest, al-Qaradawi’s lawyer, Mohammed Sablouh, called for the immediate release of his client. He urged Lebanese authorities to allow al-Qaradawi to contact his family. Sablouh raised concerns about the possibility of torture if his client were sent back to Egypt, requesting that al-Qaradawi, who holds Turkish citizenship, be allowed to travel to Turkey instead.
The elder al-Qaradawi, Yusuf al-Qaradawi, was a prominent Sunni scholar and the spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, an outlawed group in Egypt. He was imprisoned multiple times in Egypt due to his association with the Brotherhood before passing away in 2022 while in exile.
A Lebanese judicial official noted that authorities would consult with Egypt about al-Qaradawi’s case. The Egyptian government will be asked to provide the necessary documentation, and the Lebanese judiciary will decide if the conditions for extradition are met. The final decision will rest with the Lebanese government.
Activists are now pressuring Lebanese authorities to respect international laws that protect political dissidents and prevent their extradition to countries where their lives may be in danger.
Al-Qaradawi, 53, was an active opposition figure during the regime of Egypt’s former president Hosni Mubarak, who was ousted during the 2011 Arab Spring. He later became a vocal critic of Egypt’s current president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who led the military coup in 2013 that ousted elected president Mohamed Morsi.
Human rights groups have raised alarms over the widespread detention of political prisoners in Egypt under the current regime.
