In what a leading legal advocacy group has called a “glaring miscarriage of justice”, the head of the Pessac Mosque in the French commune of Meaux, has been “wrongfully convicted” of terror apology in violation of free expression and due process.

CAGE has reported that Abdourahmane Ridouane was accused of glorifying terrorism based on his support for the Palestinian struggle against genocide, colonisation and apartheid. “The ruling comes after years of legal battles during which the State relentlessly tried to silence Ridouane and force his expulsion from France,” explained the advocacy group. “He received a suspended sentence and was banned from national territory for two years. As a result, the State is looking into his immediate deportation.”

Ridouane, who recently won a case to renew his residency in France, is known for his outspoken support for Palestine and his criticism of France’s neo-colonial policies in Niger, his country of origin.