Abdallah was then sentenced to life in prison, a far more severe punishment than the 10-year sentence sought by the attorney general. His lawyer, Jacques Verges, who previously defended clients such as Venezuelan militant Carlos the Jackal, saw the verdict as "a declaration of war".
A support committee was immediately formed, demanding Abdallah's "immediate release". The longest-serving prisoner in France has never expressed regret for his actions.
"He is doing well intellectually. He is an activist. He sticks to his guns, reads a lot and keeps himself very informed about what is happening in the Middle East. People write to him from all over the world," his lawyer, Jean-Louis Chalanset, told AFP in 2022.