As pro-Palestinian demonstrations are suppressed, associations dissolved and activists targeted, Abdourahmane Ridouane, a social worker and mosque leader from Niger, finds himself at the heart of what rights advocates call an alarming crackdown on freedom of expression in France.
“I came to France as a student, dreaming of returning home with knowledge and degrees,” Ridouane told Daily Sabah in an interview. “And now, I found myself caught in a political storm simply for defending basic human rights.”
Ridouane's case reflects broader concerns voiced by rights groups and legal experts since October 2023, when French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin ordered a nationwide ban on pro-Palestinian protests. Citing public order concerns, authorities dispersed peaceful demonstrators with tear gas and water cannons in cities like Paris.
The blanket ban was criticized by organizations such as Amnesty International, which called it a disproportionate infringement on the right to protest. France’s top administrative court, the Conseil d’État, later ruled that such bans must be assessed on a case-by-case basis rather than applied systematically.
But the pressure on pro-Palestinian voices has only intensified.
Ridouane's story began like many immigrants in France - hopeful and determined. While studying accounting and management, he joined a Muslim student association and later shifted to social work, devoting over a decade to supporting marginalized youth in Pessac, a suburb of Bordeaux.
“We created an association to help young people reconnect with their faith and values,” he said. “It was about community, not politics.”
But when Ridouane began speaking out publicly against Israel’s military actions in Gaza - calling the campaign a “genocide” and likening it to historical atrocities - he found himself under government scrutiny. His social media posts, he says, were labeled anti-Semitic, and his role as head of a mosque was portrayed by authorities as a breach of France’s secular principles.
“I never preached hate. I condemned injustice,” he said. “But in France today, criticizing Israel is enough to be branded a threat.”
The French government moved to dissolve his association, accuse him of inciting violence and revoke his residency permit. Despite winning several legal battles - including a court ruling ordering the renewal of his permit - he was detained and ultimately expelled.
“I was arrested and held in a detention center for three months,” he said. “Just days after a court ruled in my favor.”
In August, Darmanin signed Ridouane’s deportation order, citing “apology for terrorism” and “threats to public order” - charges Ridouane says were politically motivated and lacked legal basis.
According to Ridouane, a dangerous precedent is taking shape in France: Solidarity with Palestine, especially among Muslims, is increasingly viewed as extremism.
“It’s a manhunt,” he said. “Students are being expelled, journalists are fired, and even elected officials face charges for speaking out.”
His claims are not isolated. Legal proceedings have been opened against academics, non-governmental organizations, and political figures - including Rima Hassan, a newly elected French parliamentarian of Palestinian descent - for alleged “apology for terrorism.”
The French government has also moved to dissolve groups such as Urgence Palestine, accusing them of inciting violence. The group denies the charges and maintains that its advocacy aligns with international humanitarian law.
Beyond Palestine, Ridouane believes the repression reflects a deeper, systemic Islamophobia in France.
“Discrimination now comes directly from the state,” he said. “When the state targets people for their religion and political opinions, it’s no longer a democracy but a dictatorship.”
He cited a string of Islamophobic attacks - mosques vandalized with death threats, veiled women attacked, and worshippers shot at - as evidence of a growing anti-Muslim climate, one amplified by what he describes as state-sponsored rhetoric.
The 2021 “anti-separatism” law, aimed at combating extremists, has been used to monitor Muslim associations, regulate religious content, and restrict public religious expression. Critics argue it disproportionately targets Muslims and restricts civil liberties.
Ridouane also blames mainstream French media for shaping public sentiment and stifling dissent.
“The media in France is complicit,” he said. “They silence those who expose the truth and give platforms to those who justify war crimes.”
He argues that the lack of critical journalism on Palestine has led to distorted narratives and further legitimized the government's actions.
“There is no worse tyranny than that which one exercises in the shadow of laws and with the colors of justice,” Ridouane said, quoting Montesquieu. “That’s exactly what is happening in France today.”
Though he lived in France for years without experiencing overt racism, Ridouane says the transformation he has witnessed is stark.
“I never thought I’d be forced to leave not for what I did, but for what I said,” he said. “France, the land of liberty, has become unrecognizable.”
Now banned from the country for two years and listed in a terrorism database, Ridouane warns that his story is part of a wider crackdown on pro-Palestinian sentiment and Muslim identity in France.
“This is not just about me,” he said. “It’s about the future of freedom, justice, and democracy in this country.”
