UAE President Pardons Egyptian Dissident-Poet Abdul Rahman al-Qaradawi Following 10-Year Prison Sentence

Abdul Rahman al-Qaradawi, an Egyptian opposition activist wanted by Cairo and son of the late spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, was arrested in Lebanon in December 2024 and subsequently extradited to the UAE. State media reported that Egyptian opposition activist and poet Abdul Rahman al-Qaradawi has been officially pardoned by United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (MBZ).

Al-Qaradawi had been arrested in Lebanon in December 2024 and was later extradited to the UAE in January 2025, where he faced allegations of “engaging in activities that aim to stir and undermine public security”. According to the UAE’s state news agency WAM on Friday, the country's president issued the pardon just days after the Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal’s Cybercrime Division handed down a sentence on August 27 requiring 10 years in prison alongside a 200,000 dirham ($55,000) fine.

While uncertainty remains regarding whether al-Qaradawi has already been physically released, WAM confirmed on Friday that “the necessary procedures have been taken to implement the presidential pardon”. The activist is the son of Yusuf al-Qaradawi, recognized as one of the Sunni Muslim world's most influential religious scholars who famously championed the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings and provoked criticism from various leaders in Egypt and Gulf nations.

Previously, his family released a warning statement in January 2025 asserting that Lebanon would place his life in danger by extraditing him to any demanding country. Furthermore, international rights groups and UN experts had actively urged for al-Qaradawi’s immediate release, arguing that his arrest stemmed solely from exercising his freedom of speech.