The Council of State confirms the expulsion of Tunisian imam Mahjoub Mahjoubi | EUROtoday

Published on : 03/29/2024 – 8:03 p.m.

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Tunisian imam Mahjoub Mahjoubi is now decided on his destiny. The highest French administrative court docket, the Council of State, confirmed on Friday March 29 its expulsion from French territory, which came about in February. At concern: a few of his preaching incited discrimination towards girls and Jews, in response to the very best French administrative court docket.

“Some of the comments made in public by the person concerned, in the context of sermons which had a certain audience, can be held to constitute acts of explicit and deliberate provocation to discrimination against women,” states the judgment rendered in abstract proceedings.

The Council of State additionally mentions “acts of provocation to hatred or violence against groups of people” and particularly, “in the current international context, comments relating to Jews” in addition to “those criticizing French society and promoting holy war.

The imam of Bagnols-sur-Cèze (Gard) was arrested and then expelled on February 22 to Tunisia. Seized in summary proceedings, the administrative court validated this referral on March 4.

A “radical imam”, according to Gérald Darmanin

The Council of State notes that the imam, being married to a Tunisian woman living in France with whom he had six children, “shouldn’t be devoid of any ties in Tunisia”, which means that expelling him does not contravene to respect his family life.

Mahjoub Mahjoubi, targeted by an investigation for advocating terrorism and radical preaching, was expelled shortly after his arrest. Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin then denounced a “radical imam with unacceptable comments”.

He had become known a few days earlier for a video circulating on social networks in which he described the “tricolor flag” – without specifying whether it was the French flag – as a “satanic flag” which would have “no value with Allah.

He then defended himself by evoking a “slip of the tongue”, explaining that he was in actuality denouncing the rivalries between supporters of Maghreb international locations in the course of the latest African Football Cup of Nations.

With AFP