Will Mahjoub Mahjoubi, the expelled imam, be able to return to France ?

Expelled from France towards Tunisia, Thursday February 22, Imam Mahjoub Mahjoubi would like to return to France despite the crisis. his comments deemed contrary to the values ​​of the Republic. Is this possible ?

12 hours after his arrest, the imam who was officiating in a mosque was arrested. Bagnols-sur-Cèze (Gard), Mahjoub Mahjoubi, wasé expelled from France towards Tunisia, Thursday February 22. From Tunisia, Friday February 23, he explained that he wanted to return to France. Its "objective" is "that France gives me my right, my legitimacyé to defend myself, (…) at least so that I can express myself before a judge". On BFMTV, the preacher said: “I will do everything to find my loved ones, to find my job, in the days or weeks that come." The imam assured that his "place is not here", but with his people who are not in Tunisia but “on the other side” of the Mediterranean.

It makes particular reference to his partner and his five children, all of nationality French, and one of them has cancer. "I only ask'& be heard by the judges. If I have to be sanctioned, I will accept the sanction… If it is fair. I lived for forty years in this country, the country of human and citizen rights. I will do everything to assert my rights."

Friday February 23, Me Samir Hamroun, the imam's lawyer announced that a "r&eac;f&eac;ré freedom&eac;" had been deposited before the Paris administrative court. "We contest this expulsion on the substance, the form, and on this procedure. We will now go through a reference. freedom to demonstrate to the administrative court that he leaves deep ties in France and that he has almost nothing in Tunisia, he indicated ; on RMC.

For his lawyer, Mahjoub Mahjoubi 'never held" the comments he is accused of about women, "neither by quoting classic texts, nor by giving his opinion. Those words never came out of his mouth. He made his remarks about the Jews in the context of preaching. There are no records of these comments about women and he himself disputes it. he said. He also explained  his client's wish to return to France as soon as possible. A desire suspended on acceptance or not of the reference freedom deposited by his lawyer. "This appeal aims to suspend the decision of the Minister of the Interior and return it to the merits, which will be studiedé in several months", said his lawyer à BFMTV.

Human rights defenders denounce an abusive procedure, it is on this point that the court judge The court must rule. He must decide whether the expulsion was necessary and appropriate given the disturbance to public order caused. ; by the presence of the imam in France. He has 48 hours to rule, so the verdict is imminent. This decision may result in the assertion of a "serious and manifestly illegal infringement" &agrav; a "freedomé fundamental" to come and go and/or freedom of expression. If this is the case, the expulsion order will be suspended and the imam will be quickly repatriated at the expense of the imam. #39;French state. Nevertheless, the latter could respond by appealing to the Council of State which will have to respond. in turn confirm or refute the decision of the summary judge. 

Otherwise, if the summary judge confirms the necessity of to expel the imam, the latter warned that he would not hesitate to do so. make a succession of appeals. He had in fact specifiedé only if its reference was not accepted, he would refer the matter to the Council of State and then to the European Court of Human Rights.  

Mahjoub Mahjoubi expelledé in Tunisia on Thursday February 22

"The radical Imam Mahjoub Mahjoubi has just been expelled' of the national territory, less than 12 hours after his arrest, the Minister of Int' later on the social network X, promoting in passing the much-decried new immigration law. "This is the demonstration that the immigration law, without which such a rapid expulsion would not have been possible. possible, makes France stronger, assuredé Gérald Darmanin. And to add: "We won't let anything pass." Arrival in Tunisia, Mahjoub Mahjoubi explainedé have been é "very well received by the authorities" and his family, with applause as indicated; from RMC.

Visé by a request to withdraw his residence permit, imam Mahjoub Mahjoubi had been arrested. arrested Thursday, around 12:30 p.m., à his home in Bagnols-sur-Cèze, in the Gard. The man of Tunisian origin had been arrested. placed in a detention center in the Paris region, according to BFMTV. At the time of his arrest, Mahjoub Mahjoubi, "in shock", according to his entourage, had learned of the arresté expulsion order signed by the Minister of the Interior. 

In detail, the judgment deportation indicates that he is accused of &agrav; the imam for having “vehicled” a literal, retrograde, intolerant and violent conception of Islam, of a dangerous nature. encourage behavior contrary to the values ​​of the Republic, discrimination against towards women, withdrawal into identity, tensions with the community Jewish and jihadist radicalization,” relayed&eac; Le Figarowho was able to consult it. Still according to the judgment, Mahjoub Mahjoubi would have presented &agrav; repeatedly labeling women "as inferior, weak and corrupt”, claiming that they should be "opposed" ocirc;placed by men" and could "be sequestered in the name of religion". Among the other criticisms made of him, we also note “hateful and discriminatory” remarks. that he would have had when talking about "non-Muslims" or even "the companyé Frenchçaise".  

"We are currently witnessing " “an unprecedented violation of fundamental rights and public freedoms,” emphasized Me Hamroun é BFMTV, adding that Mahjoub Mahjoubi has not been the subject of any summons to be able to explain the controversy surrounding him after' egraves the broadcast of a video of one of his preachings.

A preliminary investigation into condoning terrorism

The affair surrounding Mahjoub Mahjoubi began on February 18 with the broadcast of a video of the imam preaching in which he evokes "tricolor flags that plague us" subsequently described as “Satanist” banners. It's never precise' if it is a question of the French flag and the imam assures in his defense that no, that he made a slip between "tricolor' quot; and "multicolor" wanting to talk about African flags.

The Minister of the Interior immediately reacted by requesting the withdrawal of the imam's residence permit , an initiative justified not only by the videos of the preaching, but by the remarks made by Mahjoub Mahjoub during previous preachings according to the prefect of Gard, J&rôme Bonet. The prefect who had reported the imam to the prosecutor of the Republic of Gard, considers that the remarks in question "call into question the principles of the Republic". After the reports, a preliminary investigation into condoning terrorism was carried out. opened. Minister Gérald Darmanin, for his part, ensured that that'"no callsà hatred will not remain unanswered.