After 38 Years, French Court Clears Release of Convicted Militant Georges Abdallah
PARIS, France – In a decision set to reignite controversy, a French court has approved the release of Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, the Lebanese activist imprisoned for nearly four decades for deadly attacks on American and Israeli officials in the early 1980s.
The ruling, reported Thursday by French broadcaster BFM TV, marks a potential end to Abdallah’s 38-year incarceration. Now 72, Abdallah is one of France’s longest-serving prisoners.
Founder of the Lebanese Armed Revolutionary Brigade (LARB), Abdallah was convicted in 1987 and sentenced to life imprisonment. His conviction stemmed from his pivotal role in two chilling assassinations in Paris:
- The 1982 murder of U.S. military attaché Lieutenant Colonel Charles Ray.
- The 1982 murder of Israeli diplomat Yacov Barsimantov.
He was also found guilty of the 1984 attempted assassination of U.S. Consul General Robert Homme in Strasbourg.
Despite multiple parole hearings over the years and a previous conditional release approval in 2021 (later blocked by the interior minister), Abdallah remained behind bars. This latest court decision, reported from the Paris Appeals Court, clears the path for his release, likely subject to conditions like deportation from France.
The impending release of Abdallah, a figure still revered by some far-left groups and viewed as a terrorist by the US and Israel, is certain to draw sharp criticism. The United States has consistently opposed his release, reflecting the deep scars left by the attacks that defined a turbulent era in European security.