Former Palestinian ambassador to Lebanon placed in provisional detention

Public prosecutor at the Court of Cassation, Judge Ahmad Rami al-Hajj, decided Monday to place the former Palestinian ambassador to Lebanon, Ashraf Dabbour, in provisional detention after an interrogation lasting more than four hours, according to several local media outlets. He had already been arrested and then released at the end of April, following an international arrest warrant issued through Interpol, for financial corruption charges brought by the Palestinian Authority.

The general prosecution at the Court of Cassation "is preparing to compile a detailed report on the corruption cases for which Ashraf Dabbour is being prosecuted, which will be submitted to the Lebanese authorities so that the Cabinet can decide on the question of handing him over" to the Palestinian authorities, according to the al-Modon news site. His defense team is expected to present, "within the next two days," meaning on Tuesday and Wednesday, a "series of documents intended to prove his innocence," the site learned. The prosecution will also wait for the Cabinet's decision regarding his handover to the Palestinian authorities before initiating legal proceedings against him.

Dabbour served from 2012 to 2025 in Lebanon, before being replaced by Mohammad Assaad by decision of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The former ambassador is being prosecuted by the Palestinian judicial authorities on the following charges: corruption, illicit enrichment, money laundering, and abuse of trust. The disputes between Dabbour and the Palestinian Authority date back several years; the former ambassador is known for defying decisions of his superiors, a Palestinian source told our editorial team last April.

Abbas sent his son Yasser to Beirut in 2025 to impose order in the sale of land and real estate belonging to the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in Lebanon. According to information from L’Orient-Le Jour, Yasser Abbas had effectively become his father's personal representative on the Lebanese stage. This action is said to be the direct reason Abbas dismissed Dabbour from his post. At the end of November, Dabbour accused Yasser Abbas on his Facebook page of having taken control of the historic PLO headquarters in Mazraa (Beirut).