Lebanese authorities have detained the former Palestinian ambassador to Lebanon, Ashraf Dabbour, on corruption charges shortly after his arrival at Beirut's Rafik Hariri International Airport, officials said on Wednesday.
Four officials, speaking on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to discuss the matter, confirmed that Dabbour was arrested on Tuesday evening. The arrest was based on an Interpol Red Notice issued last year.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas removed Dabbour from his post as ambassador in 2023 after the Palestinian Authority accused him of corruption. Reports indicate that Dabbour was involved in selling property owned by the Palestine Liberation Organisation in Lebanon.
The Palestine Liberation Organisation was based in Lebanon until Israel's 1982 invasion. Dabbour is now being questioned by a judge at the prosecutor's office in Beirut.
