Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Yassine Elalami
Published on 2024-03-12 15:53:00
On Monday night, the Administrative Court of Paris made its decision regarding the fate of Imam Hassan Iquioussen, who was expelled from French territory in January 2023 after making controversial statements deemed inappropriate by the government. The Imam, who was already on the S file list, had faced multiple criticisms for his speeches.
The administrative judge considered the repeated provocative actions to justify his expulsion. This decision follows a referral to the court after the Imam’s expulsion in 2023, but it does not overturn this measure.
According to Lucie Simon, the Imam’s lawyer, these statements do not provide sufficient reason for expulsion. She pointed out that while her client’s speeches were regrettable, they do not pose a serious threat to the security of the French state. In her opinion, it is a violation of the freedom of expression of a man born in France, with his family on the territory.
However, the administrative court rejected this argument, stating that the expulsion does not excessively violate Hassan Iquioussen’s privacy, as his wife and children could join him in Morocco.
The Imam intends to appeal this decision. “Mr. Iquioussen will certainly appeal this decision. He is a little perplexed, perplexed to see that old statements from 10 to 20 years ago are being brought up, that his apologies are not even mentioned in the decision,” revealed Lucie Simon in a statement to RFI.
This case raises, according to several internet users, “profound questions about the limits of freedom of expression and the management of speeches deemed radical in France.”
It is worth noting that Hassan Iquioussen had already fled to Belgium when the French Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, decided on his expulsion in 2022, before eventually being sent back to Morocco in 2023.
Read the original article(French) on L’Opinion
