Join us on Saturday October 22 at 2pm in front of the French Consulate to stand in solidarity with Georges Abdallah and Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike since September 25th. We demand Georges Abdallah’s immediate release from Lannemezan prison and recognize that political prisoners — whether they be in Zionist or French jails — are on the frontlines of the Palestinian struggle and we must always amplify their cause.
Embodying the Palestinian ethic of “sumud,” or steadfastedness, Georges Abdallah continues to engage in the very same fight he was targeted for. Indeed, during his detainment, Georges Abdallah has repeatedly participated in hunger strikes and refused meals in solidarity with Palestinian political prisoners inside occupation prisons.
October 24, 2022 marks 39 years since Lebanese revolutionary Georges Abdallah was held as a political prisoner in Lannemezan prison in France. He is considered the longest serving political prisoner in Europe and has been eligible for release since 1999. However, his release has been obstructed by the French and American governments at every turn.
Georges Abdallah was targeted for his commitment to the fight for Palestinian liberation, for his role as a revolutionary thinker, and his involvement in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and the Lebanese Revolutionary Armed Factions (LRAF). Georges Abdallah’s trial which sentenced him to life imprisonment in 1987 was marked by irregularities. One of his lawyers – Jean-Paul Mazurier – was revealed to be an agent for a French spy service and some of the evidence against Abdallah was also revealed to have been fabricated retroactively by French, American and Israeli intelligence services. Despite this, the validity of the trial and its results have never been formally contested despite numerous attempts.
The French regime continues to detain Abdallah as they have deemed him to be a threat to Zionism stating that “[his release would] be celebrated [by Lebanon ..] and many different movements engaged in the revolutionary struggle.” Indeed, Abdallah is a threat to the Zionist regime — and by proxy its collaborators, namely the French and American regimes — for what he represents: the unity between Lebanese and Palestinian resistance and its revolutionary potential. That unity was a powerful force that, at the time Abdallah was still free, the Zionist Occupation was actively attempting to sabotage and continues trying to destroy to this day.
We must continue to demand the immediate release of Georges Abdallah who consistently resisted against the settler-colonial Zionist regime. We also recognize that political prisoners — whether they be in Zionist or French jails — are on the frontlines of the Palestinian struggle and we must always amplify their cause. Embodying the Palestinian ethic of “sumud,” or steadfastness, Georges Abdallah continues to engage in the very same fight he was targeted for. Indeed, during his detainment, Georges Abdallah has repeatedly participated in hunger strikes and refused meals in solidarity with Palestinian political prisoners inside occupation prisons.
We recognize that his arrest and detainment is an attempt to stifle the Palestinian and Lebanese revolutionary spirit. We also condemn the French regime whose detainment of George Abdallah is only possible because of their collaboration with the Zionist and American regimes. We also condemn the Lebanese regime for its shameful inaction which has allowed Georges to remain hostage to France’s collusion with the Zionist regime. As organisations, movements, and individuals in Quebec we affirm our full and complete solidarity with Georges Abdallah and demand his immediate release from Lannemezan prison. We will continue to honour Georges Abdallah’s persistent fight until full liberation and return.
