The family of Egyptian activist Al-Qaradawi appeals to the Lebanese Prime Minister to release him Human rights news

Al-Qaradawi’s family demands the Lebanese Prime Minister’s intervention to prevent his deportation to Egypt, fearing for his life

The family of the Egyptian opposition activist Abdul Rahman Al-Qaradawi He called on the Lebanese authorities to release him immediately, with increasing fears of his deportation to Egypt, where he is legally wanted.

Al-Qaradawi’s family issued a press statement on Sunday, in which they said that they had sent a letter to Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati asking him to intervene in the case of the Egyptian poet and writer, who is also a Turkish citizen and lives with his family in Lebanon. Istanbul.

“As a family, we trust in the wisdom of the Lebanese leadership and the generous people of Lebanon,” the press release said. “Lebanon has always been a symbol of defending freedoms, and we appeal to the Lebanese Prime Minister, in the name of justice and humanity, to intervene immediately to release him and ensure his safe return to his waiting family and three daughters.” him in Istanbul.”

A Lebanese judicial official quoted by Agence France-Presse and his family said that Al-Qaradawi, the son of the late Muslim Brotherhood spiritual guide Youssef Al-Qaradawi, was arrested on December 28 under an Egyptian arrest warrant. He was arrested at the Masnaa border crossing after entering Lebanon from Syria.

The official said that an Egyptian court sentenced Al-Qaradawi in absentia to five years in prison on charges of “opposing the state and inciting terrorism.”

The family said that the ruling came in response to an article published by Al-Qaradawi in 2012, and warned that Lebanon would put Al-Qaradawi’s life in danger if it extradited him to Egypt.

The press statement issued on behalf of Al-Qaradawi’s family said, “His extradition to any country demanding him would put his life in danger, especially in light of the record of human rights violations in those countries.”

Al-Qaradawi’s lawyer in Lebanon, Muhammad Sablouh, previously said that his client may be subjected to torture if he is extradited to Egypt, which human rights organizations such as Amnesty International accuse of suppressing political opponents and committing crimes including torture. “With impunity”.

The letter from Al-Qaradawi’s family comes as part of a campaign demanding his release and return to Türkiye.

The 53-year-old was a long-time opponent of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who was ousted in the country’s 2011 revolution.

The activist also became an outspoken critic of Egypt’s current leader, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who came to power after a bloody coup in 2013 against elected president Mohamed Morsi, who later died in prison.