A Palestinian refugee residing in France under granted asylum faces over 18 months of imprisonment following an extradition request from Israeli authorities, according to advocacy group Free Ali. The individual, identified only as Ali, was apprehended in May 2024 during a dawn raid at his family residence, where French police forcibly entered the property, damaged vehicles, and conducted extensive searches in the presence of his children.
Ali’s refugee status has been formally revoked by French authorities citing national security concerns, despite the absence of formal charges or trial proceedings. This decision directly contradicts France’s previous acknowledgment of his persecution by Israel, where he endured multiple detainments without trial before his 2014 expulsion.
The case has ignited serious concerns regarding international refugee protections and judicial independence. Free Ali representatives contend that France’s compliance with Israeli requests constitutes a dangerous precedent wherein geopolitical alliances potentially override humanitarian obligations. Notably, Israel currently faces international legal scrutiny including genocide allegations at the International Court of Justice regarding its Gaza operations.
Ali’s personal history reveals extensive trauma: at age 14, he witnessed his younger brother’s fatal shooting by an Israeli soldier; he subsequently endured approximately seven years of intermittent imprisonment under Israel’s administrative detention system without formal charges. Following his expulsion, he briefly faced detention in Italy based on Israeli claims before eventually securing asylum in France where he established family life and stable employment.
The psychological impact on his family has been severe: his partner received a cancer diagnosis potentially linked to extreme stress shortly after his detention, while their children developed acute anxiety disorders following the violent arrest circumstances. Currently incarcerated at Osny prison near Paris, Ali has faced denied release requests despite no criminal record in France.
Advocates emphasize that extradition to Israel would effectively constitute a death sentence given the documented deterioration of Palestinian detainee conditions and systematic torture allegations in Israeli prisons. The case reflects broader patterns of Palestinian criminalization within European jurisdictions through overlapping immigration and anti-terrorism legal frameworks.