French Court Blocks Deportation of Controversial Imam Hassan Iquioussen

The Administrative Court of Paris suspended the deportation of Hassan Iquioussen, accused of "having held a hateful discourse against the values of France for years", reports SaphirNews. In its decision, the judge in chambers indicated that the measure "would disproportionately infringe" on the Muslim dignitary and his family’s right to private life, said Lucie Simon, the imam’s lawyer.

A victory for the defense, which pleaded on Thursday during a hearing before the administrative court for the suspension of the measure. "What we are asking for is only a suspension of the measure to go beyond the media time and the time of emotion, and for judges to be able to calmly examine the substance" of a "highly complex" case, she had indicated.