French activists rally to free 'Arab Nelson Mandela' Georges Abdallah
Ramin Mazaheri
Press TV, Paris
Demonstrators gathered from around France to demand the release of Europe’s oldest political prisoner. Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, who is known as the ‘Arab Nelson Mandela’, has been imprisoned for more than 38 years and has become a beloved hero celebrated around the world.
In 1982, once again, Israel was invading Lebanon. Abdallah’s resistance group accepted responsibility for the death of two Israeli and American agents in Paris, claiming they were legitimate acts against foreign occupation. Abdallah has been eligible for parole since 1999. He refuses to repent or to recant his support for Palestine, and while some say that’s a reason he hasn’t been released, most believe it's due to political pressure from Washington and Tel Aviv.
Abdallah is described as a model prisoner, and maintains a vast correspondence with groups supporting anti-imperialism, anti-Zionism and leftist politics. Many believe Abdallah, a former schoolteacher and Maronite Christian, is exactly the type of unifying and heroic figure who could unite a fragmented and troubled Lebanese nation.
No French media were present at the demonstration for Abdallah, despite it being held under the banner of International Political Prisoner’s Day. Despite the apparent Western media blackout, his supporters worldwide say they will never stop fighting for his liberation from French injustice. This week, the British government approved the extradition to the United States of another famous political prisoner of the West: Julian Assange, founder of Wikileaks.
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