The Council of State has given the green light to the expulsion of Imam Hassan Iquioussen, announced Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin. In a tweet, the Minister of the Interior considered that this decision which overturns the suspension of this expulsion by the administrative court is “a great victory for the Republic”. “He will be expelled from the national territory,” added Gérald Darmanin.
The Council of State validates the expulsion of Mr. Iquioussen who holds and propagates in particular anti-Semitic remarks and contrary to equality between women and men. This is a great victory for the Republic. He will be expelled from the national territory.
— Gérald DARMANIN (@GDarmanin) August 30, 2022
According to our information, Morocco has already issued a consular pass, allowing the expulsion of Hassan Iquioussen. “We will try to arrest him before tonight,” said a police source.
“Hate” which justifies the expulsion decision
In its order of August 30, the Council of State concluded the cancellation of the order of the administrative court of Paris which suspended the expulsion of the imam, thus giving its approval to the expulsion to Morocco of Hassan Iquioussen. On August 5, the Paris administrative court had suspended the expulsion to Morocco of this imam reputed to be close to the Muslim Brotherhood, judging that it would cause a “disproportionate attack” on his “private and family life”, but the ministry of the Interior appealed against this decision.
The interim judge of the Council of State considers that “his anti-Semitic remarks, made for several years at numerous widely publicized conferences, as well as his speech on the inferiority of women and their submission to men constitute acts of provocation explicit and deliberate discrimination or hatred justifying the expulsion decision. He also considers that this decision does not seriously and manifestly illegally affect the private and family life of Hassan Iquioussen”, explains the highest administrative court. French in its press release.
The imam’s lawyer, Lucie Simon, reacted on Twitter by believing that this decision symbolized “a weakened rule of law” and deplored “an alarming context of pressure from the executive on the judiciary”. “The legal fight continues, the Administrative Court of Paris will have to look into the merits of the case soon, and Hassan Iquioussen is studying the possibility of seizing the ECHR again”, she added.
The legal fight continues, the Administrative Court of Paris will have to look into the merits of the case soon, and Hassan Iquioussen is studying the possibility of seizing the ECHR again (3/4)
—Lucie Simon (@LucieSimon94) August 30, 2022
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) had refused to suspend the expulsion at the beginning of August, explaining that it only granted provisional measures of suspension “in exceptional circumstances”, when the applicant was exposed “to a real risk of irreparable damage”.