The Lebanese government has decided to extradite Egyptian activist Abdel Rahman Al-Qaradawi, son of the late cleric Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) following an extradition request from Emirati authorities.
The decision is based on an arrest warrant issued by the Arab Interior Ministers Council due to a video recorded by Al-Qaradawi during a visit to the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, in which he criticized several Arab countries.
The decision came shortly after Lebanese Justice Minister Henry Khoury submitted a decree to the Council of Ministers authorizing the extradition. According to sources, Türkiye, which had warned Lebanon against handing over Al-Qaradawi, requested prior assurances before his extradition. However, it is believed this decision will not lead to a political or diplomatic crisis between Beirut and Ankara.
The move has raised questions about why Lebanon agreed to extradite the activist to the UAE, despite the absence of a judicial agreement for exchanging wanted individuals between the two nations.
A government source clarified that the decision was based on the arrest warrant issued by the Arab Interior Ministers Council, which Lebanon is obligated to honor as a member of the council and a signatory to its agreements. The source also confirmed that Lebanon’s General Security Directorate will coordinate with Emirati authorities to finalize the extradition schedule.
The swift response to the Emirati request is noteworthy. Al-Qaradawi was detained upon arriving in Lebanon through the Masnaa border crossing from Syria on December 29, 2024, in accordance with an Interpol red notice. The notice was based on a five-year prison sentence handed down in absentia by Egyptian courts, which convicted him of charges including “spreading false news, inciting violence and terrorism, and encouraging regime change.”
Efforts by Al-Qaradawi’s family and activists to prevent his extradition to Egypt or the UAE have been unsuccessful. On Tuesday, dozens of protesters, including religious figures from Lebanese Islamic organizations, gathered outside Beirut’s Palace of Justice demanding that he not be extradited and calling for his transfer to Türkiye, where he resides. They warned that they would take legal action against the Lebanese government in international courts if the extradition proceeds.
Al-Qaradawi’s lawyer, Hala Hamza, argued that her client is being held based on a request from Egypt and another from the UAE tied to a now-removed video he posted in Syria. She stated: “There is no legal basis for the UAE’s extradition request,” describing the decision as violating international human rights agreements.
On Sunday, Al-Qaradawi’s family sent an official letter to Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati urging his immediate intervention to secure the man’s release.
