French MPs asking Hollande to free George Abdallah

Several French MPs have sent an open letter to President Francois Hollande asking for the release of Lebanese militant Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, who began this week its thirtieth year of detention in France letter.

The text , released by the lawyer of the former head of the Lebanese Armed Revolutionary Fraction ( farl ) , arrested in 1984 and sentenced to life imprisonment for complicity in the assassination in Paris in 1982 by two American and Israeli diplomats , is including signed by members of left Noel Mamere , Serge Janquin , Sergio Coronado, François Asensi and centrist Senator Nathalie Goulet .

Calling Georges Ibrahim Abdallah " oldest political prisoner in Europe and probably one of the oldest in the world " , the signatories state that it " is entitled to parole since 1999."

" Yet , even though Lebanon was willing to accept it , he was denied eight times this demand," they continue, calling the refusal " even more outrageous that in 1985 , in As part of negotiations for the release of a french hostage, the highest authorities of France had accepted his release. They have not kept their word . "

" That is why , Mr. President , that we elected the Republic , we ask you to put an end to this injustice and take action , regardless of foreign pressure , so it can be released and join Lebanon, " they conclude.

For his part, Jean- Louis Chalanset 's lawyer Georges Ibrahim Abdallah , denounced the length of his detention " clearly to respect the desire of the United States of America."

The State Department and elected officials of all stripes of the U.S. Congress had again state in January of their opposition to a release from prison of Abdullah .

A demonstration of its support is scheduled for Saturday at Lannemezan ( southwest ) to the prison where he is detained.