Ramy Shaath says French authorities are seeking to deport him on the grounds that he is a threat to public security, accusing France of targeting him over his pro-Palestinian activism.
Shaath, 54, said in a May 14 face-to-camera video statement posted online that the move was part of what he described as a broader campaign to silence Palestinians and supporters of the Palestinian cause in France.
Shaath helped found the pro-Palestinian organization Urgence Palestine after the start of the Israel-Hamas war. He accuses French authorities of targeting him after earlier legal proceedings failed.
France’s Interior Ministry doesn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
Shaath said in the video that the deportation move followed earlier difficulties renewing his French residency papers, despite his family ties in France. He also alleged that his bank account had been closed without warning and that his health insurance card had been suspended, saying the measures affected his ability to work, travel and receive care.
Shaath said he and his family would challenge the proceedings before French and European courts.
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