Imam Mahjoub Mahjoubi was arrested this Thursday, February 22, to be placed in a detention center with a view to his expulsion from French territory, which he intends to contest. An arrest following a controversial video of a sermon published on social networks
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This Thursday, February 22, at midday, the Tunisian imam residing in the south from FranceMahjoub Mahjoubi « was arrested at his home by the police, who notified him of an expulsion order from the Ministry of the Interior, with immediate administrative detention in the Paris region “, announced from BFMTV his lawyer, Me Samir Hamroun, according to whom his client is “ stunned ” And ” upset “.
The transport of Mr. Mahjoubi to the Paris region, where he must be placed in an administrative detention center, “ is in progress », Specified the lawyer, adding that he would “ immediately set about contesting the expulsion order ”, within the 48-hour period available to him.
He was arrested at his home, in the presence of minor children. It was a stupor. They saw their father being handcuffed, taken away, his wife too. She was able to call me at the last minute so that I could inquire about certain details of the procedure – namely that we were subject to a 48-hour dispute period. I will refer the matter to the Paris administrative court as quickly as possible to request a suspension of the Minister of the Interior’s order.
Me Samir Hamroun, lawyer of Imam Mahjoub Mahjoubi
“ Instruction was given to issue a ministerial expulsion order against this radical “imam” unacceptable comments and he was the subject of a home visit and an arrest », The Minister of the Interior then confirmed on X (formerly Twitter). “ Without immigration law, this could not have been possible. Firmness is the rule », added Gérald Darmanin.
Instructions were given to issue a ministerial expulsion order against this radical “imam” who made unacceptable comments and he was the subject of a home visit and arrest.
Without the immigration law, this would not have been possible. Firmness is… https://t.co/uTJG2YbpQ5— Gérald DARMANIN (@GDarmanin) February 22, 2024
THE “ tricolour flag ” qualified for ” satanic flag »
There controversy surrounding this imam of Tunisian origin erupted last Sunday after the publication on social networks of a video of sermons considered by the French authorities as “ calls for hatred “. In it, he qualifies the “ tricolour flag » – without specifying whether it was the French flag – of “ satanic flag », says our correspondent in Marseille, Siam Spencer. The Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin then requested the withdrawal of his residence permit.
Mahjoub Mahjoubi is imam at the At-Tawba mosque in Bagnols-sur-Cèze, a town of 18,000 inhabitants in Gard. First targeted by a preliminary investigation, opened Monday for advocating terrorism and inciting hatred by the Nîmes public prosecutor’s office, he was finally arrested this Thursday noon to be moved to an administrative detention center in the Paris region, with a view to potential expulsion.
For his part, Mahjoub Mahjoubi defended himself in the press, explaining that he had made a slip of the tongue on this famous video. He claims to have meant multi-colored flag and not tricolor. But according to the prefect of Gard, Jérôme Bonet, the imam has been followed for several months by the French authorities. It is this monitoring which justified the reaction of the Minister of the Interior, noting “ drifts » in several recent sermons by the imam.
Living in France since the mid-1980s, married and father of four children, Mahjoub Mahjoubi had in fact been in Gérald Darmanin’s crosshairs for several days.
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(And with AFP)