Lebanon arrests former Palestinian ambassador over corruption charges

Lebanese authorities arrested Ashraf Dabbour, the former Palestinian ambassador to Beirut, on Monday. The arrest comes ahead of his extradition to Palestine, where he is to face charges of corruption and embezzlement of funds during his tenure. Dabbour served as the Palestinian envoy to Lebanon from 2012 to 2025.

He was previously detained in April upon arrival at Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport from Jordan, acting on an Interpol arrest warrant related to financial corruption allegations. At that time, he was referred to the Public Prosecution. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had relieved Dabbour of his duties as deputy to the general supervisor of the Palestinian file in Lebanon in July 2025.

Dabbour has faced scrutiny over his alleged role in selling properties owned by the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) in Beirut. Accusations include approving real estate deals for personal gain and transferring funds from embassy accounts into his personal banking.

In May, Dabbour denied the accusations in a video posted on Facebook, stating they were intended to tarnish his reputation. In an earlier April post, he accused Yasser Abbas, son of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, of using his influence within the authority to settle personal scores by pursuing him with arrest warrants.

A legal source indicated that Lebanon's ability to extradite Dabbour is complicated by his status as a Palestinian refugee, as there are no applicable bilateral agreements for extradition to the occupied Palestinian territories.