Lebanon faces international criticism over alleged torture of Egyptian-Turkish poet.
A complaint has been filed with the United Nations (UN) rapporteur on torture, urging an investigation into Lebanon's involvement in the detention and alleged torture of Egyptian-Turkish poet Abdulrahman al-Qaradawi. The 42-year-old activist was arrested by Lebanese authorities after he returned from Syria, where he had gone to celebrate the fall of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Al-Qaradawi was subsequently extradited to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a country with a poor human rights record, on charges of "fake news" and "disturbing public security". His lawyers claim that his detention is tantamount to torture, citing the lack of sunlight, access to a lawyer, or official charges.
The case has sparked widespread concern among human rights groups, including Amnesty International, which warned that al-Qaradawi could face torture if extradited to the UAE. Lebanese authorities had initially dismissed these concerns, stating that the UAE promised to respect al-Qaradawi's human rights.
However, the UAE's track record on human rights is poor, and many critics argue that Lebanon's decision to extradite al-Qaradawi sets a chilling precedent for freedom of expression in the Middle East. Al-Qaradawi's family has expressed outrage over his detention, stating that he should be returned home surrounded by his loved ones.
The UN rapporteur on torture has been urged to investigate Lebanon's role in al-Qaradawi's detention and alleged torture. The UAE did not respond to requests for comment, but had previously claimed that al-Qaradawi's detention complied with human rights standards.
Human rights groups are calling for urgent action from the international community to stamp out this behavior and ensure that no one is "hunted down" across borders and imprisoned without due process.
A complaint has been filed with the United Nations (UN) rapporteur on torture, urging an investigation into Lebanon's involvement in the detention and alleged torture of Egyptian-Turkish poet Abdulrahman al-Qaradawi. The 42-year-old activist was arrested by Lebanese authorities after he returned from Syria, where he had gone to celebrate the fall of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Al-Qaradawi was subsequently extradited to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a country with a poor human rights record, on charges of "fake news" and "disturbing public security". His lawyers claim that his detention is tantamount to torture, citing the lack of sunlight, access to a lawyer, or official charges.
The case has sparked widespread concern among human rights groups, including Amnesty International, which warned that al-Qaradawi could face torture if extradited to the UAE. Lebanese authorities had initially dismissed these concerns, stating that the UAE promised to respect al-Qaradawi's human rights.
However, the UAE's track record on human rights is poor, and many critics argue that Lebanon's decision to extradite al-Qaradawi sets a chilling precedent for freedom of expression in the Middle East. Al-Qaradawi's family has expressed outrage over his detention, stating that he should be returned home surrounded by his loved ones.
The UN rapporteur on torture has been urged to investigate Lebanon's role in al-Qaradawi's detention and alleged torture. The UAE did not respond to requests for comment, but had previously claimed that al-Qaradawi's detention complied with human rights standards.
Human rights groups are calling for urgent action from the international community to stamp out this behavior and ensure that no one is "hunted down" across borders and imprisoned without due process.
The whole thing around Abdulrahman al-Qaradawi's case sounds really sketchy 
. I mean, extraditing someone with a history of activism to the UAE for 'fake news' charges? That doesn't sit right with me at all 
. Lebanon claiming the UAE would respect his human rights just seems like a stretch 
. The fact that he was denied sunlight and a lawyer during his detention is straight-up torture 
. If we're going to talk about human rights, let's make sure our words match our actions 
. This case isn't just about al-Qaradawi; it's about the precedent we set for free expression in the Middle East 
. The international community needs to weigh in on this ASAP 
just saw that Lebanon is facing international criticism over allegedly torturing an Egyptian-Turkish poet 
Abdulrahman al-Qaradawi was arrested, extradited to the UAE on flimsy "fake news" charges, and his lawyers claim it's basically torture 
with no sunlight, lawyer access, or official charges... poor guy's family is beside themselves 
Lebanon's decision sets a super chilling precedent for free speech in the ME 
and now human rights groups are crying out for urgent action 
This whole situation is super worrying, you know? Lebanon's handling of Abdulrahman al-Qaradawi's case raises serious red flags about their commitment to human rights. I mean, extraditing someone to a country with a poor record on human rights and then saying they'll be treated fairly doesn't exactly fill me with confidence 
.
he was just trying 2 celebrate with his fam after Syria & then lebanon arrests him & sends him to UAE?!?! 
& they say the UAE promised 2 respect his rights lol what r they even talking about 
& human rights groups rn it cant be 2 easy 4 them 2 just sit back & do nothing 
. I mean, what's next? Will they be extraditing us for expressing our opinions on social media too? 
The fact that the UAE has such a poor human rights record makes this whole thing even more suspicious 
. Lebanon should be ashamed of this 
. We gotta stand up for al-Qaradawi's rights and make sure no one else gets treated like this 
. I'm all for human rights, and it seems like Lebanon is playin' with fire 
Like seriously, how can Lebanon not be held accountable for this? I mean, they're basically saying it's okay to just send someone to a country with a terrible human rights record because they don't want the heat, you know? 
It's just not cool, man.
The UN needs to step in here and investigate what's going on. It's not right that human rights groups are calling for urgent action because it sounds like Lebanon is kinda setting a bad precedent... 
Have you noticed how quickly the Lebanese authorities shut down any opposition or criticism? This whole thing reeks of a cover-up... 
. I mean, we learn about human rights in school and how everyone has the right to freedom of speech and expression, but in real life people like al-Qaradawi are facing serious consequences for speaking out 
.
I'm totally with Abdulrahman al-Qaradawi's family on this one - he should be free to express himself and live without fear of persecution. 
The UAE's human rights record is, like, super sketchy, so it's even more worrying that Lebanon is working with them on this case. 
. And the UAE... wow, their track record on human rights is like a dark stain on the world's conscience 
. It's like they're trying to tell us that freedom of expression is something we can do without, that we should just be grateful for being alive 
. But what about our right to dignity? Can we just let that be taken away from us and be okay with it? I don't think so... the world needs to stand up against this kind of behavior and demand some real change 
.