Celebrations erupted at Beirut’s airport as supporters welcomed Georges Abdallah, a pro-Palestinian communist militant, following his release from a French prison after more than 40 years behind bars. Abdallah's return marks the end of the longest incarceration in France’s recent history.
Georges Abdallah receives hero’s welcome in Beirut after 40 years in French prison
Lebanese pro-Palestinian militant Georges Abdallah, second right, who was serving a life sentence for complicity in the 1982 murders of an American and an Israeli diplomat.
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Now 74, Abdallah had been serving a life sentence for complicity in the 1982 assassinations of an American military attaché and an Israeli diplomat. He was a member of the Lebanese Armed Revolutionary Factions and has long been considered a political prisoner by many in Lebanon.
Supporters gathered at the airport, waving Palestinian and Lebanese flags and chanting in celebration. For them, Abdallah’s release is seen not just as the return of a man, but the revival of a symbol of resistance.
“It’s a great day for us, people supporting the Palestinian cause all over the world,” said supporter George Haddad. “We are happy that finally Georges Abdallah is free.”
Siham Antoun, another supporter, praised his decades of imprisonment as a sacrifice for justice. “He has turned into an icon that inspires us all to believe our sacrifices are not in vain.”
Abdallah’s release comes amid growing global focus on Palestinian solidarity movements.