Rabat – Mohamed Tataiat, an Algerian national serving as an imam in Toulouse, France, has been deported back to Algeria following his conviction for inciting hatred and violence against the Jewish community. The deportation took place on Friday evening, according to French media reports.
The expulsion came after a message from French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin on the social network X, where he said that immigration authorities have moved to deport the imam. In the post, Darmanin described Tataiat as a preacher of hate and said he was already condemned by the justice system.
Tataiat’s lawyer condemned the deportation, calling it a “forced expulsion.” He argued that there was no urgency, pointing out that Tataiat had been living in France for 40 years, had children, worked, and had remained out of the public eye for the past seven years.
Despite efforts from the Imam’s legal team to challenge the deportation order, a hearing scheduled at the administrative court of Paris for Monday was unable to prevent the expulsion.
The Imam’s lawyer voiced his concern over the lack of access to his client during the deportation process at Toulouse airport, saying that it constitutes a disregard for the rights of the defense and the judicial authority.
Mohamed Tataiat arrived in France in 1985 and has been serving as an Imam in Toulouse since 1987.
Tataiat first came under legal scrutiny in June 2018 following remarks made during a sermon at the En Nour mosque that was considered hateful towards Jews.
After a legal battle that spanned several years, Tataiat was finally convicted on August 31, 2022, and received a four-month suspended prison sentence.
Despite an appeal to the Court of Cassation, his conviction was upheld on December 19 of the same year, leading to the signing of his deportation order by the Minister of the Interior on April 5.
Read Also: French Interior Minister Announces Plans to Introduce New ‘Imam Status’
