Today, 28 December 2025, marks one year since the arrest of Egyptian–Turkish poet and opposition figure Abdulrahman Yusuf al-Qaradawi in Lebanon. This incident constitutes a serious violation of Lebanese law and of Lebanon’s international obligations and reveals a dangerous pattern of transnational repression, in which political complicity enables the transfer of dissidents to states where they face serious risks to their lives and freedoms.
On 28 December 2024, Lebanese authorities arrested Abdulrahman Yusuf al-Qaradawi pursuant to an extradition request issued by the Emirati authorities, solely in connection with his exercise of the right to freedom of expression. Despite the absence of any meaningful legal safeguards, and notwithstanding clear warnings about the serious risks he would face if deported, the Lebanese Council of Ministers took an urgent decision on 8 January 2025 to forcibly extradite him to the United Arab Emirates. This decision amounted to a blatant violation of the principle of non-refoulement.On the same day, Mr. Al-Qaradawi’s lawyer appealed the decision in front of the State Council, Lebanon’s highest administrative court. Later, on 23 October 2025, his lawyer was notified of the State Council’s decision No. 43/2025-2026, rejecting the appeal submitted by Al-Qaradawi challenging the decree ordering his extradition to the United Arab Emirates.
In an Urgent Appeal sent earlier to the Government of Lebanon on 6 January 2025, UN Special Procedures mandate holders raised concerns about the risk of torture or ill-treatment, enforced disappearance, arbitrary detention, and violations of fair trial and due process guarantees to which Al-Qaradawi could be exposed if extradited to Egypt or the UAE.
