The decision was confirmed this week in the Official Journal. The government stripped of their French nationality a Franco-Moroccan and a Franco-Turkish condemned for having planned attacks in France. Born in Lyon, Unzîle Nûr Sert, 25, was definitively sentenced in 2017 to five years in prison, including six months suspended, for her participation in a foiled attack in Paris in March 2016 targeting a concert hall, two cafes and a shopping center.
“Our client paid her debt to society by serving her sentence several years ago and is now fully reintegrated. This forfeiture has no other purpose than that of political display ”, declared the lawyers of the young woman, who will file an appeal before the Council of State against this decree.
Only dual nationals born foreigners can lose French nationality
Born in Morocco in El Jadida, Karim Kinali, 32, was sentenced in 2019 to seven years in prison for a foiled attack plan in 2015 in Orleans, according to the Center for Terrorism Analysis. Among the potential targets were police officers, gendarmes, the regional prefect and a nuclear power plant.
Since 2019, 19 nationality deprivations have been pronounced for terrorism in France, according to figures from the Ministry of the Interior. In France, only dual nationals can be deprived of their nationality (so as not to render a person stateless), but not those, among them, who were born French.
The forfeiture of nationality may be decided in the event of an attack on the fundamental interests of the Nation or in the event of conviction for a crime or terrorist offence. It is pronounced by decree of the Prime Minister, after assent of the Council of State.