A Palestinian flag. (Credit: AFP)
BEIRUT —Former Palestinian ambassador to Lebanon Achraf Dabbour was detained, questioned, and then released by Lebanese authorities on Wednesday upon his arrival at Beirut International Airport (BIA) from Turkey, a Palestinian source and a security source confirmed to L’Orient-Le Jour. The arrest was carried out under an international warrant issued via Interpol for financial corruption charges, as previously confirmed by the Palestinian source.
Dabbour, who served from 2012 to 2025 before being replaced by Mohammad Assaad by decision of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, was released Wednesday evening after several hours of questioning conducted by acting public prosecutor Judge Pierre Francis. He had been detained earlier that morning upon arrival on a flight from Turkey.
Reported by several media outlets, the information was confirmed by a security source to L’Orient-Le Jour, which specified that his release is part of standard legal procedure. During questioning, “a lawyer was appointed to ensure his defense, and his legal situation was reviewed by the judge,” the source said. As a Palestinian refugee residing in Lebanon, he is subject to the same rules as Lebanese nationals, who are generally not held in custody after questioning related to international arrest warrants, except in specific cases.
His case will nonetheless be handled by the Lebanese judiciary, even though the complaint originates from Ramallah. The findings from the interrogation will be reviewed by the public prosecutor, in line with procedure, pending the possible issuance of a summons.
The former ambassador is being prosecuted by Palestinian authorities on charges including corruption, illicit enrichment, money laundering, and breach of trust. An arrest warrant had been issued against him and circulated internationally through Interpol.
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Tensions between Dabbour and the Palestinian Authority reportedly began earlier, with the former ambassador known for opposing decisions taken by his superiors, the source said.
According to the same account, PA President Mahmoud Abbas sent his son Yasser to Beirut in 2025 to oversee the sale of land and properties belonging to the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in Lebanon. Yasser Abbas was effectively acting as his father’s representative in Lebanon, according to information obtained by L’Orient-Le Jour. This move is believed to have directly contributed to Dabbour’s dismissal.
The case later escalated into what Palestinian lawyer Fouad Baker described to L’Orient-Le Jour as “an internal revolution within the PLO and Fatah amid political score-settling.”
In late November, Dabbour accused Yasser Abbas on Facebook of taking control of the historic PLO headquarters in Beirut’s Mazraa district. He claimed the building, worth several million dollars, was sold by Abbas, who allegedly used bribes to silence critics. Fatah sources strongly denied the allegations at the time.
