عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

UAE, Oman, Qatar Join Others in Warning against Approaching Unsafe Areas in Lebanon

Empty ammunition casings litter the ground at the Ain el-Hilweh camp in Lebanon's southern coastal city of Sidon, on August 4, 2023, following the latest flare-up in the camp for Palestinian refugees. (AFP)
Empty ammunition casings litter the ground at the Ain el-Hilweh camp in Lebanon's southern coastal city of Sidon, on August 4, 2023, following the latest flare-up in the camp for Palestinian refugees. (AFP)
TT
TT

UAE, Oman, Qatar Join Others in Warning against Approaching Unsafe Areas in Lebanon

Empty ammunition casings litter the ground at the Ain el-Hilweh camp in Lebanon's southern coastal city of Sidon, on August 4, 2023, following the latest flare-up in the camp for Palestinian refugees. (AFP)
Empty ammunition casings litter the ground at the Ain el-Hilweh camp in Lebanon's southern coastal city of Sidon, on August 4, 2023, following the latest flare-up in the camp for Palestinian refugees. (AFP)

More Arab countries have warned against travel to Lebanon in wake of the clashes that had raged in the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain el-Hilweh in the South.

Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman joined Saudi Arabia and Bahrain in warning their nationals against travel to Lebanon or approaching areas where the clashes were taking place.

The UAE urged its citizens to abide by the previous travel ban to Lebanon.

Qatar said its nationals who are visiting Lebanon must exercise caution and avoid areas that have witnessed unrest.

It added that Qataris in Lebanon must get in contact with the Qatari embassy in Beirut in case of emergency.

Oman also issued a similar call for caution to its citizens.

Saudi Arabia had on Friday called on its citizens to quickly leave Lebanese territory and to avoid approaching areas where there have been armed clashes.

On Aug. 1, the United Kingdom also updated its travel advice for Lebanon, advising against "all but essential travel" to parts of Lebanon’s south near the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain el-Hilweh.

Kuwait also issued an advisory early on Saturday calling on Kuwaitis in Lebanon to stay vigilant and avoid "areas of security disturbances."

The Lebanese government has scrambled to contain the fallout and avoid damage to the country’s most promising tourism season in 13 years.

At least 13 people, most of them gunmen, were killed in fighting that broke out in Ain el-Hilweh on July 29 between mainstream faction Fatah and hardline Islamists, security sources in the camp said.

An uneasy calm has since been restored after Palestinian and Lebanese parties, including Amal and Hezbollah, intervened.

Ain el-Hilweh is the largest of 12 Palestinian camps in Lebanon, which host up to 250,000 Palestinian refugees, according to the United Nations' agency for refugees from Palestine (UNRWA).

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati had delivered a rare rebuke to the Palestinian factions, saying the fighting was a "flagrant violation of Lebanese sovereignty."

"It is unacceptable for Palestinian groups to view Lebanon as open ground where they can wage their bloody fighting and terrorize the Lebanese people," he added.

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

Cairo May Request Extradition of Qaradawi’s Son from Abu Dhabi

Umayyad Square in Damascus (Reuters)
Umayyad Square in Damascus (Reuters)
TT
TT

Cairo May Request Extradition of Qaradawi’s Son from Abu Dhabi

Umayyad Square in Damascus (Reuters)
Umayyad Square in Damascus (Reuters)

As Lebanese authorities proceed with the deportation of Egyptian activist Abdel Rahman al-Qaradawi, the son of the late cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi, to the United Arab Emirates, an Egyptian source involved in the case told Asharq Al-Awsat that Cairo plans to formally request his extradition from Abu Dhabi once he arrives there.

Controversy has surrounded the case since Lebanon announced that the government had approved the deportation of Qaradawi to the UAE instead of Egypt, where he holds citizenship.

Former Lebanese Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour explained to Asharq Al-Awsat that citizenship is not an obstacle in extradition cases between countries, saying that a state may decide to extradite a person to another country even if they hold the nationality of a third state, as in the case of Qaradawi’s son.

According to Lebanese sources, the decision to extradite Qaradawi to the UAE is based on a warrant issued by the Council of Arab Interior Ministers. As a member of the council, Lebanon is obligated to comply with the UAE’s request, despite the absence of a direct bilateral extradition agreement between the two countries.

Additionally, the extradition decision was influenced by the fact that the charges against Qaradawi are criminal, not political, as political charges would prevent extradition and instead warrant protection under international conventions.

An Egyptian judicial source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the International Cooperation Office of Egypt’s Public Prosecutor had prepared a comprehensive file containing all rulings issued against Qaradawi to ensure that the extradition request met all legal requirements. This file was sent to Lebanese judicial authorities through official channels. However, Egypt has yet to receive a response from Lebanon, though one is expected in the coming days.

Dr. Mohammed Mahmoud Mehran, a member of the American and European societies for international law, told Asharq Al-Awsat that international law generally allows extradition when the individual is either a citizen of the requesting state, has committed a crime on its territory, or when the requesting state has a direct legal interest in the case.

As Qaradawi is an Egyptian citizen, Egypt “has the legal right to request his extradition under international law and bilateral agreements, provided all legal conditions are met,” Mehran said.

Meanwhile, Qaradawi’s lawyer, Mohammed Sablouh, confirmed plans to file an urgent appeal in Lebanese courts to prevent his client’s extradition, according to Reuters. Mehran explained that extradition laws grant the individual the right to appeal in court, while the requesting states also have the right to challenge decisions.

Mehran suggested that if Qaradawi is ultimately handed over to the UAE, it is highly likely he will later be extradited to Egypt after procedural requirements in the Emirates are fulfilled. This is due to the strong bilateral relations and close security coordination between Egypt and the UAE.

Abdel Rahman al-Qaradawi, who holds dual Egyptian and Turkish citizenship, was arrested in Lebanon on December 28 after returning from Syria. His arrest followed an Interpol red notice issued based on an in absentia ruling by an Egyptian court sentencing him to five years in prison for spreading false news, inciting violence, and terrorism. Before his arrest, Qaradawi appeared in a video filmed at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, where he made remarks considered offensive to both Egypt and the UAE.