The National Human Rights Commission, including the Committee for the Prevention of Torture (NHRC-CPT), welcomes Decree No. 4213 of 29 October 2026, rejecting the request to extradite Iraqi national Abdul Jabbar Mohammad Abbadi to the Iraqi judicial authorities. The Commission commends the decree’s explicit reliance on Law No. 68 abolishing the death penalty in Lebanon and its recognition that, following abolition, this punishment is contrary to Lebanese public policy.
The Commission considers the decree an important practical application of the legal consequences of abolishing the death penalty in international judicial cooperation. Protecting the right to life requires that abolition also inform the examination of extradition requests that could expose individuals to capital punishment outside Lebanon.
The decree relied on Article 34 of the Lebanese Penal Code, which permits refusal of extradition where the punishment prescribed by the requesting state’s legislation is contrary to public policy. It also noted that the legal provision underlying the prosecution in Iraq allows the death penalty. On that basis, it concluded that the legal conditions necessary to approve extradition were not fully satisfied.
The Commission confirms that it has written to the Minister of Justice and the Public Prosecutor at the Court of Cassation concerning other requests to extradite Arab nationals to several Arab countries. These interventions followed complaints duly submitted to the Commission’s Complaints Department. The Commission requested comparable legal measures wherever grounds for refusal exist, and decisions on the issues raised in those complaints to ensure respect for extradition procedures and Lebanon’s obligations and to prevent serious, irreparable harm.
The Commission calls for the reasoning set out in the decree to guide the examination of similar cases, with a thorough, individual assessment of each request. This assessment should address the charges, potential penalties and any substantial risks of torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. The Commission also requests that no extradition be carried out in the cases addressed in its correspondence until these risks have been fully examined and the grounds for objection determined in accordance with the law.
The Commission stresses that the seriousness of the allegations does not relieve the competent authorities of their duty to assess the legality of extradition and its consequences for the requested person’s rights. It also affirms the importance of combating impunity through lawful judicial mechanisms, subject to the safeguards required by law and respect for the rights of all parties.
While welcoming this decree, the Commission urges the Ministry of Justice, the Public Prosecutor’s Office at the Court of Cassation and all other competent authorities to ensure a consistent approach to extradition requests. It also asks to be informed of the outcome of the correspondence and cases it has referred, enabling it to follow up on complaints and protect complainants against risks to their lives and physical integrity.
The Commission will continue to monitor these cases within its statutory mandate, safeguard complainants’ confidential information and cooperate with the relevant authorities to ensure that abolition of the death penalty translates into effective protection across all related procedures and decisions.
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