Lebanon to extradite late Muslim cleric al-Qaradawi’s son to UAE

Lebanon is set to extradite the son of late senior Muslim cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi to the United Arab Emirates after the country’s caretaker cabinet approved the move on Tuesday, the Lebanese prime minister’s office said.

Abdul Rahman al-Qardawi, an Egyptian-Turkish poet, was detained in Lebanon on Dec. 28 after returning from Syria, according to his lawyer Mohammad Sablouh and human rights group Amnesty International.

His arrest followed critical comments Qaradawi made of the UAE, Saudi Arabian and Egyptian authorities in a video posted online.

The UAE and Egypt have both filed requests for his extradition.

The requests “are believed to be based on the legitimate exercise of his right to freedom of expression,” Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Sara Hashash said in a statement on Tuesday, urging Lebanese authorities to reject the extradition requests.

The Egyptian and Emirati foreign ministries did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Qaradawi’s lawyer said he would file an urgent appeal to block his extradition on Wednesday morning but feared his client might be flown out of the country before then. 

Qaradawi’s father was considered the spiritual guide of the Muslim Brotherhood and lived in exile in Qatar until his death in September 2022.

The Egyptian regime had sentenced the cleric to life in prison in absentia and held his daughter Ola in detention for several years.

The late cleric was a vocal supporter of the 2011 ‘Arab Spring’ uprisings, including in his home country of Egypt.