The American newspaper The New York Times revealed in an extensive report that Egyptian-Turkish poet and dissident Abdulrahman Yusuf al-Qaradawi has been held in the United Arab Emirates for more than seven months, after being extradited by Lebanese authorities in January 2025, following videos he posted criticizing the negative role of some Arab states in Syria.
The newspaper reported that al-Qaradawi was arrested at the Lebanese-Syrian border on December 28, 2024, and extradited to the UAE on January 8, 2025, despite the fact that Egypt’s extradition request had arrived before that of the Emirates. His British lawyer, Rodney Dixon, described the case as a dangerous example of “transnational repression”, where the UAE applies its laws beyond its borders to punish dissidents.
The report noted that al-Qaradawi’s family has only been able to see him twice for just a few minutes since his detention, amid complete secrecy about his location and health conditions. Meanwhile, Emirati authorities insist that he remains under “state security investigations” and claim to be acting in accordance with “legal and human rights standards.”
The New York Times also reported that UN experts had warned Lebanon before the extradition that al-Qaradawi could face “the risk of torture or enforced disappearance,” but Lebanese authorities ignored the warning.
In a statement to the newspaper, the poet’s family said: “Every day of his detention is a tragedy for us all. Abdulrahman is a courageous man, loved by his family and his three daughters, and we demand his immediate release.”
This report places both the UAE and Lebanon under the scrutiny of international human rights organizations, amid growing fears that al-Qaradawi’s case could set a precedent that opens the door to further persecution of Arab dissidents beyond their home countries.
