PARIS, July 17 (Reuters) – A French court on Thursday supported the release of Lebanese militant Georges Ibrahim Abdallah from prison after serving a life sentence of nearly 40 years for an attack on French Israeli diplomats.
The Paris Court of Appeals agreed to Abdallah’s release on July 25 on the condition that he leaves France, a judicial source said. A second source familiar with the case said he would be deported to Lebanon.
Abdallah is the former head of Lebanon’s armed revolutionary faction. He was imprisoned in 1987 for the 1982 murder of Aj Charles Ray and Israeli diplomat Yakov Barsimantov in Paris in 1984, and for the attempted murder of Consul General Robert Hom in Strasbourg in 1984.
The US Department of Justice and French prosecutors have been vigorously opposed his release for many years, with eight previous requests for release being denied.
Neither Abdallah’s lawyers nor the Lebanese or the US Embassy could immediately comment.
At a February hearing, a Paris court said Abdallah should make an effort to compensate the victims’ families, according to anyone familiar with the matter.
His lawyer said about 16,000 euros ($18,546) had been paid to his account in June. The US Department of Justice and French prosecutors said they were inadequate and were not coming from Abdallah.
A source familiar with the case said on Thursday that Abdallah would not have to pay compensation to the victims.
It was not clear whether there would be further appeals.
Abdallah, 74, continues to be a stubborn advocate for the Palestinian cause.
A Paris court explained that he could not condemn his actions in prison, saying in November there was “no serious risk in terms of committing new terrorist acts.”
However, the US Department of Justice argued that his release poses a threat to the safety of US diplomats.
Washington also used Abdallah’s previous comment that he would return to his hometown of Qobayyat, given the recent conflict between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters, as a reason he would not release him, and as a reason for him not to release him.
($1 = 0.8627 Euro)
(Reporting by John Irish and Dominique Vidaron, Additional Report by Sudip Kar-Gupta, Edited by Joe Bavier)
