Al-Qaradawi's family is seeking the intervention of the Lebanese PM to prevent his deportation to Egypt, fearing threats to his life.
The family of an Egyptian opposition activist Abdul Rahman al-Qaradawi has asked the Lebanese authorities to release him immediately, as there are growing fears that he will be extradited to Egypt, where he is wanted by law.
Al-Qaradawi's family members issued a press release on Sunday saying they had sent a letter to Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati asking him to intervene in the case of the Egyptian poet and writer, who is also a Turkish citizen. and lives with his family in Istanbul.
“As a family, we trust in the wisdom of the Lebanese leadership and honorable people of Lebanon,” the press release said. “Lebanon has always been a symbol of the defense of freedom, and we appeal to the Prime Minister of Lebanon, in the name of justice and humanity, to intervene immediately to release him and ensure his safe return to his family and three girls who are waiting. to 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 judicial official in Lebanon quoted AFP news agency as saying and his family. He was detained at the Masnaa crossing after entering Lebanon from Syria.
al-Qaradawi was sentenced by an Egyptian court in absentia to five years in prison on charges of “opposing the state and inciting terrorism”, the official said.
The family said the decision was a response to an article published by al-Qaradawi in 2012, and warned that Lebanon would risk al-Qaradawi's life if it extradited him to Egypt.
“His extradition to any country he requests puts his life at risk, especially given the record of human rights violations in those countries,” said the press release issued on behalf of al- Qaradawi.
Al-Qaradawi's lawyer in Lebanon, Mohammed Sablouh, had previously said that his client could be tortured if extradited to Egypt, alleged by human rights groups such as Amnesty International for suppressing political dissidents and committing crimes including torture. “with permission”.
The letter of Al-Qaradawi's family is part of a campaign urging his release and return to Turkey.
The 53-year-old was a long-time opponent of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who was ousted in the country's 2011 revolution.
The activist has also been a vocal critic of Egypt's current leader, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who came to power after a bloody 2013 coup against elected President Mohamed Morsi, who later died in prison.
