It has now been a full year since the arrest of Egyptian-Turkish opposition figure and poet Abdulrahman Yusuf, the son of the late Islamic scholar Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, an incident that continues to raise serious international legal and human rights concerns.
Al-Qaradawi was detained in Lebanon on 28 December 2024 at the request of the United Arab Emirates, and was subsequently handed over to Abu Dhabi in a case that reflects an alarming pattern of cross-border repression targeting political dissidents and advocates of civil liberties.
His forced extradition to the UAE in January 2025 constituted a clear violation of the principle of non-refoulement—a cornerstone of international human rights law that prohibits returning any individual to a country where they may face torture or inhuman treatment.
International law, including the Convention Against Torture, places responsibility on states to protect individuals from the risk of arbitrary detention and torture in extradition cases. Lebanon, by failing to uphold these obligations, bears legal and moral responsibility for Al-Qaradawi’s rendition.
Since his handover, all contact between Abdulrahman Yusuf and his family has been severed, except for two brief visits, each lasting no more than ten minutes, under ambiguous and non-transparent circumstances regarding his detention location and legal status.
His conditions reportedly include prolonged solitary confinement, denial of communication and regular visits, and deprivation of personal belongings, treatment that meets the criteria for enforced disappearance under international standards.
These conditions raise grave concerns over violations of his fundamental rights, including the right to a fair trial, personal liberty and security, and protection from torture or degrading treatment, all of which are guaranteed under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention Against Torture.
Furthermore, the severe restrictions on family contact and the confiscation of his personal items contravene the basic principles of humane treatment of prisoners, which require dignified detention conditions and regular access to family and legal counsel.
Abdulrahman Yusuf, 54, is a poet and political activist of Egyptian and Turkish nationality, known for his outspoken defence of democracy and free expression, and for his criticism of the governments of Egypt and the UAE, stances that have made him a prime target of intensifying repression.
International diplomatic pressure, including from Turkish authorities responsible for protecting their citizens, remains crucial in securing his release and ending the violations he faces. There is also an urgent need for an independent and transparent investigation into the circumstances of his arrest and extradition, and for holding accountable those responsible for breaching international legal obligations. Policies governing extradition must uphold human rights and the integrity of international law.
