French commission advises against deporting Egyptian-Palestinian activist

“French commission advises against deporting Egyptian-Palestinian activist Submitted by Alex MacDonald on Fri, 05/22/2026 - 08:49 Ramy Shaath hails 'embarrassing' ruling for French government against removal from country, which does not cancel threat of deportation Palestinian political activist and leading figure of the 2011 Egyptian revolution Ramy Shaath speaks during a rally outside Nanterre District Court on 21 May (Simon Wohlfahrt/AFP) Off Egyptian - Palestinian activist and academic Ramy Shaath has won a provisional victory against the French government after a commission ruled against his deportation from the country for comments made at pro-Palestine demonstrations and involvement in Palestine solidarity groups. On Thursday, the Hauts-de-Seine departmental deportation commission ruled that deporting the prominent Arab Spring veteran - on the basis of being a "serious threat to public order" - would violate his respect for privacy and freedom of expression. Shaath, who spent 900 days in Egyptian detention between 2019 and 2022, no longer has Egyptian citizenship and could not be sent to his home region of Gaza due to the ongoing war . Sending Shaath to a third country, the commission ruled, would constitute "a disproportionate infringement on his right to a private and family life". The ruling by the commission is only advisory and the French government can choose to ignore it. However, Shaath said the ruling was "embarrassing" for the authorities. 'We will win - they are losing the fight and that is why they are panicking' - Ramy Shaath "It's a very important win - the ruling was absolutely decisive, saying that Ramy is not a danger to public order or to France in any way," he told Middle East Eye on Friday. "Nevertheless, based on the French oppressive system, their decision is advisory, so the ministry can tomorrow, or the day after, issue a final deportation order for me." The son of Palestinian chief negotiator and former Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Nabil Shaath, he advised Palestine Liberation Organisation leader Yasser Arafat, was part of the Palestinian Authority's negotiating team. In Egypt, he was a prominent figure in the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings against President Hosni Mubarak and was a coordinator of Egypt's chapter of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. 'Beyond the law' Shaath settled in France in 2022 on a one-year visa after being released from prison, following a pressure campaign from French President Emmanuel Macron. In late 2023, he co‑founded the Urgence Palestine collective, which then‑Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau attempted to dissolve on accusations of “glorifying a terrorist organisation such as Hamas, calling for an Intifada on national territory, and inciting hatred, violence or discrimination against Jews”. UN experts later warned that such a measure would constitute “a restriction neither necessary nor proportionate” to core freedoms. Shaath applied for renewal of his visa in September 2023 but received no response. Since then, he has filed 10 urgent appeals for renewal, without success, despite having a French wife and child. Macron once campaigned for Ramy Shaath's freedom. Now he wants to deport him Read More » On 30 April, he received notice at his home that deportation proceedings had been initiated against him. A document issued by the Nanterre prefecture listed the reasons for the deportation proceedings, mainly citing various speeches, lectures and other public appearances of Shaath's. Among them were his links to "figures of the Palestinian cause in France" as well as his references to "Israel's criminal occupation of Gaza" and his self-professed anti-Zionism and support for a one-state solution in Palestine. "We are facing an administrative maze that is beyond the law and every time they try to go to court they lost - but they're still increasing those tactical games just like Third World fascist regimes and systems," he told MEE. Nevertheless, he said it was a big victory for freedom of expression and pro-Palestinian activism in France, which has come under increasing pressure since October 2023, with activists denouncing a criminalisation of actions and speeches. "It asserts that the language of Palestine and the language of calling for an end to Zionism, the right of the Palestinian people to resist even with arms...all are today cleared under the rule of freedom of expression," he said. "We will win - they are losing the fight and that is why they are panicking." France 'They are panicking': French commission advises against deporting Egyptian-Palestinian activist News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0

Summary generated from the RSS feed of Middle East Eye. All article rights belong to the original publisher. Click through to read the full piece on www.middleeasteye.net.