Join on WhatsApp 
Join on Telegram Rabat- Belgium might not expel Moroccan imam Hassan Iquioussen to France. French news outlet Le Figaro reported on October, 4, that Iquioussen might not face extradition to France, describing his case as a “legal mess.”
Belgian officials announced the arrest of the imam on September 2 in response to a French arrest warrant. The imam fled France after the European country ordered his arrest and deportation, citing his speeches as “contrary to the values of the French Republic.”
The Moroccan Imam left France before the official order of the Council of State provided the green light for his deportation.
Le Figaro’s report stipulates that France could receive the imam back only if Iquioussen’s behavior also constitutes a criminal offense under Belgian national law also.
Read also: French Mayor Says Iquioussen Should Have Been Deported Earlier
Iquioussen’s lawyer Lucie Simon contests the validity of France’s arrest warrant, recalling that the offense “is not characterized”.
The imam’s lawyer argued that her client left French territory of his own will, but following the deportation decision issued by the French Minister of Interior.
Simon added that the departure of Iquioussen occurred before “the Council of State’s validation of the arrest.”
The French-Moroccan imam might never be transferred to France, unless there is a mutual recognition of the facts by both France and Belgium. The decision can take longer than expected.
