“Once again, the immigration law allows us to expel to his country of origin, in less than 24 hours, an “imam” from Toulouse, a preacher of hatred and condemned by the courts,” said Gérald. Darmanin on X (ex-Twitter), after the expulsion of Mohamed Tataïat.
This imam of Algerian nationality who officiated in Toulouse was deported to Algeria after his final conviction for provoking hatred and violence against the Jewish community.
Comments made during a sermon in 2018
Mohamed Tataïat arrived in France in 1985 as a seconded Algerian imam. He moved to Toulouse two years later to work in the mosque in the Empalot district. In June 2018, the prefect of Haute-Garonne reported remarks made during a sermon on December 15 at the En Nour mosque, characterizing, according to the prefect, “a provocation to hatred and discrimination against Jews.”
On August 31, 2022, he was sentenced by the Toulouse Court of Appeal to four months in prison for this preaching. On December 19, the Court of Cassation rejected the imam’s appeal, thus making his conviction final.
On April 5, Gérald Darmanin signed his expulsion order. And on Friday, he was arrested at his home with the authorization of the judge of freedoms and detention and immediately expelled.
A “manu militari” expulsion denounced by his lawyer
“There was no emergency, he has been on French territory for forty years, he has children, he works, he has not been talked about for seven years, and there he finds himself on a plane towards Algeria,” reacted one of his lawyers, Jean Iglesis. He denounces a “manu militari expulsion to avoid having the order suspended [d’expulsion] “.
A hearing to examine a request for interim relief from the imam’s lawyers against this expulsion order is scheduled for Monday at the Paris administrative court, added Me Iglesis.
“What is happening is of a certain seriousness […] It is a distrust of the defense and the judicial authority,” continued the imam’s counsel, affirming in particular that he had not been able to have access to his client when he was pending. expulsion at Toulouse airport. He further assured that Mohamed Tataïat had not received an expulsion notice.