UAE president pardons Egyptian poet al-Qaradawi after 10-year sentence

September 5, 2026 at 01:14 PM2 min

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UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan pardoned Egyptian activist and poet Abdul Rahman al-Qaradawi on Friday, state news agency WAM reported. The pardon came days after an Abu Dhabi court sentenced al-Qaradawi to 10 years in prison and fined him 200,000 dirhams ($55,000).

Key Facts

Al-Qaradawi was arrested in Lebanon in December 2024 and extradited to the UAE in January 2025.
The Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal's Cybercrime Division sentenced al-Qaradawi on August 27 to 10 years in prison and a fine of 200,000 dirhams ($55,000).
WAM reported that necessary procedures have been taken to implement the presidential pardon, but it is not known if al-Qaradawi has been released.
Al-Qaradawi is the son of Yusuf al-Qaradawi, a prominent Sunni Muslim scholar who supported the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings.

Pardon and Sentence

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan issued a pardon for Abdul Rahman al-Qaradawi, state news agency WAM reported on Friday. The pardon came days after the Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal's Cybercrime Division sentenced al-Qaradawi on August 27 to 10 years in prison and fined him 200,000 dirhams ($55,000). WAM said the necessary procedures have been taken to implement the presidential pardon, but it is not known if al-Qaradawi has been released.

Arrest and Extradition

Al-Qaradawi was arrested in Lebanon in December 2024 and extradited to the UAE in January 2025. He faced charges of engaging in activities that aim to stir and undermine public security. His family warned in January 2025 that Lebanon would be endangering his life if it extradited him to any country that demands him.

Background and Reactions

Al-Qaradawi is the son of Yusuf al-Qaradawi, one of the Sunni Muslim world's most influential religious scholars, who championed the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings and drew the ire of leaders in Egypt and some Gulf states. Rights groups and UN experts had called for al-Qaradawi's release, saying he had been arrested merely for exercising his right to free speech.