Lebanon to deport Egyptian dissident who celebrated Assad’s fall to UAE

Lebanon will deport an Egyptian activist and dissident who celebrated the ouster of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad to the United Arab Emirates, local media reported.

Abdul Rahman Yusuf, the son of Egyptian cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi who died in 2022, was detained by Lebanese authorities on 28 December after he returned from Syria, where he took part in celebrations following the fall of Assad.

A staunch critic of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Yusuf recorded videos in Damascus where he said he hoped the country’s future wouldn’t be hindered by Arab states including Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

In one video, Yusuf said: “Rest assured the victory is imminent, in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Yemen, and all countries that revolted against injustice and tyranny.”

Since his arrest, Yusuf’s video have been shared widely on Arabic-language social media, with accounts associated with the Saudi and Egyptian governments calling for his deportation.

Local news channel LBC reported that the Lebanese cabinet decided to deport Qaradawi to the UAE after ongoing legal and political discussions surrounding his case had “drawn attention”.

No further details were provided on when he could be deportated.  

Hours before issuing the judgment, Amnesty International implored Lebanese authorities to reject extradition requests from both the UAE and Egypt.

“Criticising the authorities is not a crime,” Sara Hashash, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa, said in a statement.

“Forcibly extraditing him to a country where he is likely to face persecution would be a flagrant breach of the principle of non-refoulement under international law.

“This case is a crucial test of the Lebanese authorities’ commitment to the right to freedom of expression. They must put their respect for human rights and obligations under international law before political ties and economic interests.”