A Palestinian flag. (Credit: Illustrative photo /AFP)
BEIRUT — The family of former Palestinian ambassador to Beirut Ashraf Dabbour, who was placed in provisional detention earlier this week over financial and real estate corruption allegations brought by the Palestinian Authority (PA), said Saturday that it "will not accept Ashraf Dabbour being turned into a scapegoat." The family also announced that it will hold a press conference on Monday to inform the public about the circumstances of his arrest, his condition and developments in his case.
A judicial source told L'Orient-Le Jour that the public prosecutor at the Court of Cassation, Ahmad Rami al-Hajj, is expected to send his report on the case of the former Palestinian diplomat to Justice Minister Adel Nassar at the beginning of next week.
Dabbour was first detained on April 29 at Beirut international airport upon arrival from Turkey, based on a red notice issued by Interpol at the request of the PA. He was interrogated and then released on bail, in the absence at that stage of a formal extradition request from the PA. The request subsequently reached the Court of Cassation, citing alleged financial and real estate corruption committed while Dabbour was posted in Lebanon. Judge al-Hajj then questioned him and placed him in provisional detention following suspicions raised during the hearing. According to the judicial source, al-Hajj's report recommends that Dabbour be transferred to the Palestinian Authority.
As a next step, the justice minister is expected to submit the judicial report to the Cabinet, which will decide whether Dabbour should be handed over to the PA. If so, the prosecutor's office must transfer him to the Directorate General of General Security. The former ambassador would then likely be flown on a plane chartered by the Palestinian Authority to Jordan, before being escorted by land to the Palestinian territories.
The judicial source said the Lebanese prosecutor's office is solely responsible for examining the extradition request and its grounds, emphasizing that establishing the facts and determining any guilt falls to the Palestinian judicial system.
The Dabbour family said in a Facebook post that it is still "searching for a location to hold this press conference, as all Palestinian institutions in Lebanon have closed their doors to us." In a separate statement issued the previous day, the family denounced what it described as an "injustice," "pressures" and a campaign targeting the former ambassador, saying the case now amounted to "political score-settling."
They added that Dabbour's refusal to become involved in matters he deemed "suspicious" or potentially harmful to Palestinians' rights in Lebanon had exposed him to increasing pressure. The family also questioned whether there had been attempts to "fabricate" corruption cases against him.
The Dabbour family also referred to rumors of interventions and pressure reportedly exerted by Yasser Abbas, son of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and called for an "independent and transparent" investigation into the allegations.
"If there are real corruption files, let them be presented to the courts" and let those responsible be held to account, the family said, warning that they "will not accept Ashraf Dabbour being turned into a 'scapegoat' in political disputes or conflicts." The family stressed that the former ambassador is entitled to an investigation and a fair trial, as well as protection of his dignity and reputation until any potential charges are proven by a final judgment.
Dabbour served in Lebanon from 2012 to 2025 before being replaced by Mohammad Assaad on the orders of President Mahmoud Abbas. He is being prosecuted by Palestinian authorities for corruption, illicit enrichment, money laundering and breach of trust.
Disputes between Dabbour and the PA date back several years. The former diplomat was known for rebelling against orders from his superiors, a Palestinian source told our newsroom last April. Mahmoud Abbas sent his son Yasser to Beirut in 2025 to oversee the sale of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) land and property assets in Lebanon. At the end of November, Dabbour accused Yasser Abbas on his Facebook page of having taken control of the PLO's historic headquarters in Mazraa, Beirut.
On July 31, President Joseph Aoun received a Palestinian delegation led by Yasser Abbas. According to an official statement from Baabda Palace, the discussions covered the disarmament of Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, an operation that began in August 2025 following a May agreement between the Lebanese and Palestinian presidents but has made little progress. At the close of the July meeting, Aoun insisted on the need to respect Lebanese government decisions regarding the state's monopoly on weapons.
