Tunisian imam Mahjoub Mahjoubi is now determined on his fate. The highest French administrative court, the Council of State, confirmed on Friday March 29 its expulsion from French territory, which took place in February. At issue: some of his preaching incited discrimination against women and Jews, according to the highest French administrative court.

“Some of the comments made in public by the person concerned, in the context of sermons which had a certain audience, can be held to constitute acts of explicit and deliberate provocation to discrimination against women,” states the judgment rendered in summary proceedings.

The Council of State also mentions "acts of provocation to hatred or violence against groups of people" and in particular, "in the current international context, comments relating to Jews" as well as "those criticizing French society and promoting holy war.

The imam of Bagnols-sur-Cèze (Gard) was arrested and then expelled on February 22 to Tunisia. Seized in summary proceedings, the administrative court validated this referral on March 4.

A “radical imam”, according to Gérald Darmanin

The Council of State notes that the imam, being married to a Tunisian woman living in France with whom he had six children, "is not devoid of any ties in Tunisia", which means that expelling him does not contravene to respect his family life.

Mahjoub Mahjoubi, targeted by an investigation for advocating terrorism and radical preaching, was expelled shortly after his arrest. Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin then denounced a “radical imam with unacceptable comments”.

He had become known a few days earlier for a video circulating on social networks in which he described the "tricolor flag" - without specifying whether it was the French flag - as a "satanic flag" which would have "no value with Allah.

He then defended himself by evoking a "slip of the tongue", explaining that he was in reality denouncing the rivalries between supporters of Maghreb countries during the recent African Football Cup of Nations.

With AFP

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