Henry Ansaldi | National Association of Communists (ANC, France)
Georges Ibrahim Abdallah has been imprisoned in France since 1984, making him the longest-serving political prisoner in Europe and one of the longest-serving in the world.
Georges Abdallah was a Lebanese communist involved in the Palestinian liberation movement.
He was arrested in 1984 for holding false papers, but following the assassination of two soldiers, one American, the other Israeli, which were arbitrarily attributed to him while he was already in prison, the French state rushed to find a culprit… even if it meant inventing one.
Although the prosecutor had asked for 10 years, he was sentenced to life imprisonment.
As he had not been sentenced to a term of imprisonment, he has been eligible for release since 1999, and by court order since 2003.
On each occasion, the US and Israeli governments have put pressure on France to prevent his release, and the French government has obeyed, demonstrating if proof were needed that the French state is undeniably a link in the imperialist chain.
The latest: under the presidency of François Hollande, Prime Minister Manuel Valls opposed his release and deportation to Lebanon, as decided by the courts, a decision contested by the Conseil Représentatif des Institutions Juives de France, which claims to be the sole voice of Jews in our country, and by the US government.
Since 2012, the Lebanese government has been calling for Georges to be deported to his country, while the Macron government continues to refuse.
The reasons for his conviction have never been proven. Even Yves Bonnet, former head of the Direction de la Sécurité du Territoire, the man who arrested Georges Abdallah, is calling for his release, speaking of “state vengeance”, and asking in vain to be heard by the courts on this case.
From prison, our comrade keeps abreast of all the struggles, shares his analyses with the comrades who visit him, and comforts us with constant words of support.
Every year around October 24, the anniversary of his arrest, we hold a joint demonstration in front of the Lannemezan prison, where he is incarcerated, calling for his release. Other initiatives take place throughout France throughout the year.
On October 7, 2024, a hearing was held at the Sentence Enforcement Court. The date chosen is the anniversary of the coordinated armed resistance action of all Palestinian organizations, whatever their social project.
The U.S. government has once again joined as a civil party in this trial, brutally underlining its interference in French justice. The two prosecutors demanded that our comrade renounce his commitments to the resistance of the Palestinian and Lebanese peoples, in order to accept his release-expulsion, which he obviously refused.
The verdict will be handed down on November 15, which makes it all the more essential to mobilize on an unprecedented scale for his release, as was the case on Thursday October 24 in front of prefectures across France.
As you have just seen in the videos, the largest demonstration since the beginning of the fight for his release has just taken place in Lannemezan, criss-crossing the town right up to the gates of his prison.
We thank you, dear comrades participating in this conference, for having given a special place to the struggle for the liberation of Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, Honorary President of the ANC of France, and through him to the centrality of the struggle of the Palestinian people for their liberation.
Rest assured, my comrades, that our work in Dakar will be passed on to him during a visit from Charles, and that he will give it his full revolutionary attention.
40 years in prison, a lifetime of fighting, Free George Abdallah!
He is part of our struggle, we are part of his struggle, Free George Abdallah!