French Lawyers’ Union Condemns Dissolution of Anti-Islamophobia Group as Threat to Democracy

The SAF is part of the logic of all those who are outraged by the dissolution of the CCIF. "The reading of the dissolution decree shows that the government is actually punishing a thought crime," the union confides. For these many legal professionals, freedom of association and freedom of expression are at the heart of any democratic state, reports saphirnews.com

An administrative dissolution that occurs without any criminal prosecution ever having been brought against the association is very worrying. "The administrative action thus takes precedence over justice," judges the SAF, which stresses that this dissolution is an arbitrary sanction and a "deadly drift for public freedoms".

The SAF, while taking up the fight against terrorism, explains that it must not "lead to an attack on the freedom of expression of all those who fight against discrimination, challenge the weakening of individual and collective freedoms, denounce the permanent states of emergency and the widespread surveillance of the population".

If nothing is done, many associations, unions or political parties, committed to the defense of public freedoms could be dissolved tomorrow," warns the SAF.