Beirut: Lebanese authorities detained Abdul Rahman Al-Qaradawi, son of late Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, a prominent spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, at the Masnaa border crossing with Syria on Saturday. The arrest followed an Egyptian warrant alleging Qaradawi’s involvement in ‘anti-state activities’ and ‘incitement of terrorism’. A Lebanese judicial source confirmed that the case is under review, with officials awaiting Egypt’s file to assess extradition criteria.
Qaradawi, a poet and political activist, was sentenced in absentia by an Egyptian court to five years in prison. Known for his vocal opposition to both former President Hosni Mubarak, ousted in the 2011 Arab Spring, and current leader Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Qaradawi frequently criticised Egypt’s crackdown on dissent. His father, Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, faced imprisonment in Egypt and spent years in exile due to his association with Muslim Brotherhood.
Recently, Abdul Rahman gained attention for a video filmed at Damascus’s Umayyad Mosque celebrating the fall of Syrian leader Bashar Al-Assad, overthrown on December 8 after more than 13 years of conflict. The video, widely shared on Egyptian media, has been labelled “insulting,” prompting pro-Sisi commentators to demand his extradition. Qaradawi holds Turkish citizenship and was returning from Syria at the time of his arrest.
The Lebanese judiciary will determine if conditions for extradition are met before referring the decision to the government. This case shows the ongoing regional tensions and the Egyptian regime’s continued suppression of figures linked to the Muslim Brotherhood.
