Charles Hoarau, president of the National Association of Communists, discusses the authorization of conditional release of Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, after forty years spent behind bars. On October 26, 2024, he was in the procession of activists gathered in front of the Lannemezan penitentiary center (Hautes-Pyrénées) to demand his release.
How did you react to the court's decision to authorize the conditional release of Georges Abdallah?
Charles Hoarau : “I was pleasantly surprised. After the charge of the two prosecutors on October 7 (the justice system was examining the request for release), I said to myself “too bad, it will be refused again and we will appeal”. This decision shows that there are judges who are not impressed by power.
This is a landmark decision. In 2013, the Council of State ordered the government to grant his release. Manuel Valls, Minister of the Interior, never signed the expulsion order. This had discouraged Georges from making further requests.
What links do you have with Georges Abdallah?
“I started to take an interest in his situation in 2005. I have corresponded a lot with him for ten years and I have had visitation rights for two years. I didn't want to ask, I said to myself: “I will go see him in Lebanon when he is released”. »
What portrait do you make of him?
“It’s quite impressive. He called me earlier. He told me: “Charles, this is important for Palestine”. He doesn't talk about himself, his release is almost anecdotal. He talks about the general fight for Palestine and for the people who are imprisoned. This is proof that we have been doing the right thing by demonstrating for months for Palestine, because its fight is intimately linked to it.
After the hearing on October 7, he called me and was not very optimistic. He knows very well that it is a political decision, until now, which has kept him in prison. He should have been released earlier, having been releasable since 1999.”
Did these mobilizations help him to hold on?
“Is it that or his unwavering faith in combat? It started with a small number of people. We had to gain the trust and mobilization of the other active forces in the country. More and more people have mobilized to try to raise awareness of this complete injustice. We can think what we want about the fight, but there is a denial of justice. »
What awaits Georges Abdallah?
“The appeal from the national anti-terrorism prosecution will undoubtedly delay his release (scheduled for December 6, 2024). But we didn't even talk about that earlier. The court's decision is a snub for the government, which had requested his continued detention. »
