Palestinian Authority hands over retired Colonel Hisham Harb to France over 1982 Paris attack

The Palestinian Authority, today, Thursday, handed over citizen Mahmoud Al-Adra, known by his nom de guerre Hisham Harb, to the French authorities. This step comes against the backdrop of French accusations against Harb of involvement in an armed attack targeting a restaurant in the Jewish quarter of Paris in 1982, which at the time resulted in the death of six people and the injury of dozens.

Harb's family confirmed that they had received an official notification from the Palestinian Authority stating that the extradition process had been completed and that he had been transferred to Jordan as an intermediary before his arrival in France. Harb had been detained three days ago in a prison in the city of Yatta, south of Hebron, before being unexpectedly transferred to implement the international extradition order issued against him years ago.

Bilal Al-Adra, Hisham Harb's son, recounted the details of a final phone call he received from his father this morning, where he was speaking from a private number and was in a state of extreme distress. The son explained that his father informed him of his imminent extradition to the French authorities, asking his family to remain steadfast and take care of themselves in these difficult circumstances he is facing.

Local sources reported that the Palestinian police in Ramallah summoned Harb's son this afternoon to officially inform him of the completion of the extradition procedures. This measure came at a time when lawyers were awaiting a court session to consider the legality of his extradition, but the field movements preceded the stalled legal process.

Yesterday, Wednesday, the Palestinian Administrative Court rejected an urgent request submitted by the defense team to prevent Harb's extradition to France without giving clear reasons for the rejection. The defense indicated that this rejection paved the way for the executive authority to proceed with the extradition procedures, which human rights activists describe as illegal.

Harb's family is in a state of extreme concern about his health and legal fate in France, especially since he is 72 years old and suffers from chronic diseases. The family confirms that their father suffers from cancer and neurological diseases, which makes his trial abroad a real danger to his life in the absence of guarantees of a fair trial.

For his part, lawyer Ammar Dweik of the Independent Commission for Human Rights described the extradition process as a dangerous precedent and a clear violation of the provisions of the Palestinian Basic Law. Dweik explained that local laws prohibit the extradition of citizens to foreign entities, considering what happened to undermine the sovereignty of the Palestinian judiciary and citizenship rights.

Thirteen Palestinian human rights and civil organizations had previously issued a joint statement warning against taking this step. The organizations considered that the extradition of any Palestinian citizen to an external entity represents a flagrant violation of constitutional rights and opens the door to other international prosecutions that may affect other Palestinians.

The extradition decision is linked to previous political understandings, as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas expressed his readiness to respond to the French request last November. The Palestinian presidency at the time considered that France's recognition of the State of Palestine provided an appropriate framework for judicial and security cooperation between the two countries in such complex issues.

Hisham Harb is a retired colonel in the Palestinian General Intelligence Service, and he joined official security work after returning to the Palestinian territories in the 1990s. Harb had returned with the late President Yasser Arafat in 1994 as part of the arrangements of the Oslo Accords, which included settling the status of hundreds of Palestinian military cadres.

The roots of the case go back to Harb's previous affiliation with the Fatah-Revolutionary Council organization, a movement that split from Fatah and was active in the 1970s and 1980s. France accuses members of this organization of carrying out a series of operations in Europe, including the attack on the 'Jo Goldenberg' restaurant, for which Harb is currently being prosecuted.

According to Harb's biography, he rose through military ranks within the splinter organization, working as a weapons instructor in Syria before taking on logistical responsibilities in Europe and Asia. However, he later decided to abandon armed struggle and commit to the political path of the Palestinian Authority since its establishment, settling in the West Bank.

The Palestinian Authority had arrested Harb last September, coinciding with French diplomatic moves to support the recognition of the Palestinian state at the United Nations. French President Emmanuel Macron at the time praised what he described as 'excellent cooperation' with Ramallah, confirming close coordination for the extradition of suspects in old cases.

France is also demanding the extradition of three other Palestinians it accuses of involvement in the same attack: Nizar Tawfiq Hamada, Amjad Atta, and Nabil Othman. Harb's extradition raises questions about the fate of the remaining wanted persons, and the extent of the Palestinian Authority's ability to balance its international obligations with the protection of its citizens' rights under local law.

The extradition represents a serious violation of the Palestinian Basic Law and a dangerous precedent in dealing with citizens.