France’s persecution of outspoken Pro-Palestine Mosque President continues with wrongful conviction

Meaux – In a glaring miscarriage of justice, Abdourahmane Ridouane, head of the Pessac Mosque, has been wrongfully convicted of terror apology in violation of free expression and due process. 

Ridouane was accused of glorifying terrorism based on his support of the Palestinian struggle against genocide, colonisation and apartheid. The ruling comes after years of legal battles during which the State relentlessly tried to silence Ridouane and force his expulsion.

He received a suspended sentence and was banned from national territory for 2 years. As a result the State is looking into his immediate deportation from the country.

Ridouane, who recently won a case to renew his residency in France, is known for his outspoken support for Palestine and his criticism of France's neo-colonial policies in Niger, his country of origin.

In 2022, the State attempted, but failed, to shut down the mosque led by Ridouane. In August 2024, Ridouane was placed under police custody and faced imminent expulsion following an order from the Ministry of the Interior. He was under house arrest since at least June 2024. This harsh measure was part of a broader crackdown on Muslim activism announced in May 2024.

On October 30th, French authorities rearrested him under new charges of “apology for terrorism.” Initially, Ridouane was scheduled for release on November 5, 2024, at which point he was to be placed under house arrest due to the French government’s deteriorating relations with Niger that hampered his forced deportation.

In a bid to extend his detention, the Ministry of the Interior issued a new alert on October 28th, alleging that new evidence of statements by Imam Ridouane amounted to “apology for terrorism.” This additional charge represents an arbitrary legal manoeuvre aimed at keeping him detained beyond his scheduled release date. 

With this conviction, Ridouane now faces a difficult and unpredictable future. As the diplomatic relationship between Niger and France seems to remain unstable, his expulsion remains on hold. He is likely to face indefinite house arrest.