A United Nations expert on torture is being called upon to investigate the Lebanese state’s involvement in the ongoing detention of a poet and activist, who has been held for nearly a year in the United Arab Emirates following his extradition from Beirut.
Legal representatives for Abdulrahman al-Qaradawi, an Egyptian-Turkish national, have formally submitted a complaint to the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture. The filing urges an inquiry into Lebanon’s actions, which the lawyers argue facilitated his transfer to a country where he faces severe mistreatment.
The case stems from a social media post made by al-Qaradawi in late 2024 while he was in Syria. In the video, he expressed criticism of the governments of the UAE, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia. Following this, the UAE issued an arrest warrant through a regional security body, the Arab Interior Ministers Council, on allegations of spreading false information and threatening public order.
Lebanese authorities, then under a previous administration, acted on the warrant. They arrested al-Qaradawi upon his return to Lebanon and extradited him to the UAE on January 8, despite him holding neither Emirati nor Lebanese citizenship. At the time, Beirut cited assurances from UAE officials that the activist’s rights would be protected.
His legal team now states those promises have been completely broken. Al-Qaradawi has reportedly been held in solitary confinement at an undisclosed location for over ten months, deprived of natural light, and has not been formally charged with any crime. He has also been denied consistent access to legal counsel or his family, conditions his lawyers describe as amounting to torture.
“This extradition was rushed through based on hollow guarantees,” stated Rodney Dixon, an international lawyer for al-Qaradawi. “That facade has collapsed. While a different government is now in place in Lebanon, the state’s legal responsibility to rectify this injustice remains.”
The case has drawn condemnation from human rights organizations and UN experts, who warned months ago that his extradition could lead to serious abuses. They argue it sets a perilous precedent for cross-border repression, where individuals can be apprehended and transferred to a foreign state simply for expressing critical views online.
A spokesperson for Lebanon’s current government noted the extradition occurred under a prior cabinet and declined further comment. The UAE has previously asserted that its detention procedures comply with international human rights standards.
Al-Qaradawi, who comes from a well-known political family, had a significant online following as a poet and commentator. His views, which included support for Hamas and its 2023 attack on Israel, were controversial. However, advocates stress that his detention without charge and under allegedly torturous conditions represents a fundamental threat to free expression.
“If states can pursue critics across international borders to imprison them, it endangers everyone,” Dixon added. “The international community must intervene to prevent this from becoming an accepted practice.”
The poet’s family, granted only brief visits during his detention, continues to plead for his release. “For almost a year, we have lived with the image of him isolated in a cell,” they said. “We will not rest until he is home, safe, and free.”