Lebanon is ready to extradite the son of late leading Muslim preacher Youssef Al-Qaradawi to the United Arab Emirates after the country’s caretaker government approved the step on Tuesday, office of the Lebanese prime minister announced.
Abdul Rahman Al-Qaradawi, an Egyptian-Turkish poet, was held in Lebanon on December 28 after returning from Syria, according to his lawyer Mohammad Sablouh and the human rights organisation Amnesty International.
Lebanese officials halted Youssef based on an Egyptian court decision against him from 2016.
The arrest was taken in response to an Interpol notice issued by the Arab Interior Ministers Council in 2016, following a court decision to sentence Youssef for three years on charges of distributing false news.
The UAE and Egypt have both requested his extradition.
Qaradawi’s lawyer said he will file an urgent appeal to stop his extradition on Wednesday morning, but he was concerned his client would be flown out of the country before then.
