Al-Qaradawi’s family is asking the Lebanese Prime Minister to intervene to prevent his deportation to Egypt, fearing risks to his life.
The family of Egyptian opposition figure Abdul Rahman al-Qaradawi has called on Lebanese authorities to release him immediately as fears grow that he will be deported to Egypt, where he is wanted by law.
Al-Qaradawi’s family members said in a press release on Sunday 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, also a Turkish citizen and with his family in Al-Qaradawi lives in Istanbul.
“As a family, we trust in the wisdom of the Lebanese leadership and the dignified people of Lebanon,” the press release said. “Lebanon has always been a symbol of the defense of freedoms and we call on the Lebanese Prime Minister to intervene immediately in the name of justice and humanity to release him and ensure his safe return to his family and his three waiting daughters.” for him in Istanbul.”
Al-Qaradawi, the son of the late Muslim Brotherhood spiritual leader Yusuf al-Qaradawi, was arrested on December 28 on an Egyptian arrest warrant, a Lebanese judicial official said, according to AFP news agency and the family. He was arrested at the Masnaa border crossing after entering Lebanon from Syria.
Al-Qaradawi was sentenced in absentia by an Egyptian court to five years in prison for “anti-state and incitement to terrorism,” the official said.
The family said the ruling was in response to an article published by al-Qaradawi in 2012, warning that Lebanon would endanger al-Qaradawi’s life if it extradited him to Egypt.
“His extradition to any country that demands him puts his life at risk, especially given the human rights violations in those countries,” said the press release issued on behalf of al-Qaradawi’s family.
Al-Qaradawi’s lawyer in Lebanon, Mohammed Sabouh, had previously said his client could be tortured if extradited to Egypt, which is accused by human rights groups such as Amnesty International of repressing political dissidents and committing crimes including torture with “impunity.” “.
The letter from Al-Qaradawi’s family is part of a campaign calling for his release and return to Turkey.
The 53-year-old was a long-time opponent of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who was overthrown in the 2011 revolution.
The activist has also become a vocal critic of Egypt’s current leader, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who came to power after a bloody coup in 2013 against elected President Mohamed Morsi, who later died in prison.
