Mahjoubi said that the French government’s decision against him was “arbitrary” (French)

On Friday, Tunisian imam Mahjoub Mahjoubi denounced the French government’s decision to deport him, describing the decision as “arbitrary,” and stressing that he will resort to the judiciary in order to return to France, where his family resides.

Mahjoubi (52 years old), who lived in an area in southern France, was arrested the day before yesterday, Thursday, and was deported to Tunisia 12 hours after his arrest, on charges of “extremism and promoting hatred in his sermons and making unacceptable statements,” after he spoke about the “tricolor” flags that were raised in... The African Cup of Nations was described as "satanic", which France understood as a reference to its flag.

Mahjoubi said that the administrative decision of French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin was arbitrary, adding that he would defend himself and do everything to return to his wife and five children who reside in France and hold its nationality.

New immigration law

Mahjoubi believed that the deportation decision by the Minister of Interior came to create excitement based on the new immigration law.

He explained the French minister's move because the elections were approaching, noting that Darmanin's party was lagging behind in the results of the opinion polls.

The French Minister of the Interior stated yesterday that had it not been for the recently approved immigration law, it would not have been possible to implement the "rapid expulsion" of the Tunisian imam.

For his part, Mahjoubi's lawyer stated that he would submit a case to the court in France for the right to defense, adding that if the French court did not do justice to him, he would resort to the European Court.

The new French immigration law - which was approved by Parliament after the right voted in favor of it on December 20 last year - allows the deportation of individuals who were under 13 years of age when they arrived in France, and the deportation of foreign parents whose children hold French citizenship.

🔴France


🔻The Minister of the Interior of #France today orders the expulsion of the Tunisian Imam Mahjoub Mahjoubi.

Imam of the city of Pagnol-sur-Seiz.

This was only hours after it was reported by a far-right parliamentarian.


🔻The charge is hatred for France


🔻The crime tool. Watch the clip 👇#Boycott_French_products1210@drassagheer pic.twitter.com/Vxo7Txcvpv

- Redouan-Radwan (@Redouan224) February 19, 2024

Talk about flags

Mahjoub Mahjoubi said after France accused him of insulting its flag when he spoke in a sermon about satanic “tricolor” flags, that what he said was a “slip of the tongue.”

He explained that he was in fact criticizing the intense rivalries between fans of Maghreb countries during the recent African Cup of Nations football events, and that raising national flags divides Muslims.

Darmanin had asked the governor to inform the judiciary of the statements made by the imam of the mosque in the city of Banyuls-sur-Seiz, leading the matter to be announced by the public prosecutor in the city of Nimes, south of Cecile Gensac, last Monday that she had opened a preliminary investigation into the case.

Source: French