France is likely to deport Lebanese leftist militant George Abdallah soon after his case became a “burden” but it has warned Lebanese authorities against organizing an official welcoming ceremony for him, pan-Arab daily al-Hayat reported on Friday.
The newspaper quoted a high-ranking French source as saying that involved French cabinet ministers intend to approve his deportation soon.
“Some officials in the French administration believe it would be best to get rid of his burden as soon as possible,” the source said.
The International Campaign to Free George Abdallah has held a series of protests near French facilities all over Lebanon to pressure Paris to deport the activist.
But French ambassador Patrice Paoli promised last week to convey to his government concerns aired by the Lebanese authorities over the delayed release.
A French court granted Abdallah, 61, parole in November on condition he be deported but the interior ministry had yet to issue the deportation order. The court postponed its decision on his release until January 28.
Al-Hayat's source did not rule out another postponement until March 14.
Abdallah was convicted for his part in the 1982 murders in Paris of U.S. military attache Charles Robert Ray and Israeli diplomat Yacov Barsimantov.
He was handed down a life sentence in 1987.
The source told al-Hayat that French authorities have delivered messages to Beirut warning it against organizing welcoming ceremonies out of fear of a negative U.S. reaction.
Abdallah, jailed for nearly three decades, has been eligible for parole since 1999 but seven previous applications were all rejected in what the militant's lawyer and supporters claim was U.S. pressure.
The U.S. ambassador to France, Charles Rivkin, has criticized the decision to grant him parole, arguing that Abdallah had never expressed remorse and could yet be a threat if released.
