Son of late Muslim Brotherhood figure faces extradition to Egypt

Abdel Rahmane al-Qaradaoui, the son of the late influential preacher Youssef al-Qaradaoui, was detained in Lebanon on Saturday upon returning from Syria, according to a Lebanese judicial official speaking on condition of anonymity. 

The arrest occurred at the Masnaa border crossing due to an Egyptian-issued arrest warrant linked to a prior court ruling.

The Lebanese official confirmed that Mr. Qaradaoui had been convicted in absentia in Egypt and sentenced to five years in prison for “incitement to terrorism and opposition to the state.”

Lebanese authorities have stated they will request Egypt’s case file on Abdel Rahmane al-Qaradaoui to review the charges. The Lebanese judiciary will then assess whether the conditions for extradition are met. The ultimate decision on extradition will rest with the Lebanese government.

Youssef al-Qaradaoui, Abdel Rahmane’s father, was a prominent figure among the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood and spent decades in exile in Qatar. Imprisoned multiple times in Egypt for his ties to the Brotherhood, Youssef al-Qaradaoui passed away in 2022.

Abdel Rahmane al-Qaradaoui has been a vocal critic of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi, who led the military overthrow of Mohamed Morsi, Egypt’s first democratically elected president and a Muslim Brotherhood member, before ascending to the presidency. 

Abdel Rahmane was actively involved in the Arab Spring protests of 2011, which culminated in the ousting of long-time Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak.

In a video filmed at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, Syria, Abdel Rahmane al-Qaradaoui celebrated the downfall of Bashar al-Assad's regime and issued warnings to the Syrian people and their new leadership. 

He cautioned them against “malicious regimes” in the region, singling out the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt as potential adversaries working against the interests of the Syrian people.