The 57-year-old man, in the sights of Gérald Darmanin who signed the expulsion order himself on July 29, is accused by the French authorities of having launched calls for hatred and violence aimed in particular the Jewish community.
The Minister of the Interior again justified his expulsion on Cnews on Thursday, judging that he had made “openly anti-Semitic, openly xenophobic, openly homophobic, openly anti-women remarks” during sermons or conferences held there. almost 20 years for some.
His lawyer, Lucie Simon, seized the ECHR, which sits in Strasbourg, on Wednesday, considering that the expulsion measure violated several provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights on the prohibition of torture and inhuman and degrading treatment. , the right to respect for private and family life, freedom of thought, conscience and religion, and freedom of expression.
The ECHR, which did not justify its decision in its press release, rejected his request, explaining that it only grants interim suspension measures “in exceptional cases”, when the applicant is exposed “to a real risk irreparable damage”.
Me Simon has, in parallel, seized “in chambers”, that is to say urgently, the administrative court of Paris to obtain the suspension of the expulsion of his client.
At the hearing, which took place on Thursday and whose decision should be known by Friday at the latest, Me Simon asked the court to be “wary of sentences cut and taken out of context”, rejecting “seriousness” as ” the news” of the remarks reproached to the imam.
The League for Human Rights (LDH) intervened voluntarily in support of Me Simon’s request at the hearing.
“These old remarks have never given rise to a refusal of a residence permit or a criminal conviction”, noted Me Marion Ogier for the association.
In a press release issued earlier today, the LDH, while disapproving of the imam’s remarks, considered retrograde, argues that Mr. Iquioussen was born in France, “has always lived there and founded his family there”.
The representative of the Ministry of the Interior for her part considered that the words of the preacher “constitute the breeding ground for terrorist actions”.
Morocco has already issued a consular pass to France earlier this week.
Me Simon refused to specify the current location of her client, registered in the “RPF”, the file of wanted persons.
– “Made of prince” –
The announcement of the coming expulsion of the imam, very active on social networks, in particular on his YouTube channel followed by 169,000 people and his Facebook page with 42,000 subscribers, sparked a series of protests.
In a press release, 31 mosques in Hauts-de-France supported the preacher, believing that he was the victim of a “manifest error of assessment”.
A support committee for Mr. Iquioussen, created after the announcement of his expulsion by Gérald Darmanin, has launched an online kitty which brings together more than 900 people for a total of 37,000 euros, “in order to finance legal costs” of the imam.
LFI deputy David Guiraud criticized this expulsion resulting, according to him, “from the act of the prince”, as a “deviation from the rule of law”, while affirming “not to be in solidarity with homophobic or anti-Semitic remarks”, held by the preacher .
Gérald Darmanin accused him Thursday on Cnews of “defending” the imam and demanded an “apology” from his party.
Born in France, in Denain, and living near Valenciennes, Hassan Iquioussen had decided at his majority, according to Mr. Darmanin, not to choose French nationality. He claims to have given it up at the age of 17 under the influence of his father, and then to have tried in vain to recover it.
After having requested this winter the renewal of his residence permit for ten years, Mr. Iquioussen had received on May 3 notification of a form of engagement of an expulsion procedure, according to his lawyer.
The departmental commission for the expulsion of foreigners from the North had given a favorable opinion on his expulsion on June 22.
