Authorities in Lebanon have arrested a former Palestinian diplomat on corruption allegations after he landed at the country’s main airport, according to officials who spoke Wednesday.
Ashraf Dabbour, who previously served as Palestine’s ambassador to Lebanon, was taken into custody when he arrived at Rafik Hariri International Airport in Beirut on Tuesday evening. Four officials from judicial and security agencies confirmed the arrest but requested anonymity since they lacked authorization to discuss the matter publicly.
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas had already removed Dabbour from his diplomatic position in Lebanon the previous year following corruption accusations from the Palestinian Authority.
According to Lebanese officials, Dabbour’s detention was carried out following an international arrest warrant issued through Interpol in late 2023.
Allegations suggest Dabbour participated in the unauthorized sale of real estate in Lebanon that belonged to the Palestine Liberation Organization, which had maintained its headquarters in the country before Israel’s military operation in 1982 forced its departure.
Officials confirmed that Dabbour was undergoing interrogation by a magistrate at the prosecutor’s office in Beirut.
