A prominent Egyptian-Palestinian human rights defender and long-time political activist is facing expulsion from France, after French authorities labeled his pro-Palestinian advocacy a ‘serious threat to domestic public order’, escalating a wider crackdown on pro-ceasefire speech in the country that has alarmed rights campaigners.
Ramy Shaath, a key organizing figure in the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings and former coordinator of the Egyptian branch of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement, was released from arbitrary political detention in Egypt in January 2022 after direct intervention from French President Emmanuel Macron. At the time of his release, Paris framed his freedom as a victory for human rights, welcoming Shaath to reunite with his French wife on French soil.
Now, just over two years later, the French government is moving to deport him. Shaath is scheduled to appear before a national deportation committee on May 21, and his attorney Damia Taharraoui confirmed that local prefecture officials could issue an immediate enforceable deportation order as soon as the hearing concludes.
A copy of the deportation notice from Nanterre Prefecture, reviewed by Agence France-Presse, explicitly cites Shaath’s public pro-Palestinian activism and commentary as the justification for the expulsion. The activist confirmed to AFP that he has participated in multiple peaceful demonstrations calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, an end to what he describes as Israeli genocide in the enclave, the imposition of economic sanctions and arms embargoes on Israel, and urgent multilateral international intervention to protect Palestinian civilians.
“My stance has never changed since the time France worked to secure my release from Egyptian prisons where I was a political prisoner… but today, it seems they want to silence me,” Shaath told reporters.
French authorities have specifically called out Shaath’s public descriptions of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza as a criminal occupation, and his references to Israeli forces as “terrorists” for targeting residential homes and civilian healthcare facilities. His legal team has argued that deportation is not a viable option in this case: Shaath no longer holds Egyptian citizenship, and cannot be sent to the Palestinian territories due to the active, large-scale conflict that has devastated Gaza since October 2023.
In response to the expulsion order, Shaath’s family, friends and supporters launched a national campaign on Sunday to block the deportation, using the hashtag #FreeRamyShaath2 – a reference to his 2019 to 2022 imprisonment in Egyptian jails.
In an official statement, the campaign condemned France’s abrupt reversal of position: “When he arrived in France, Ramy Shaath was welcomed as a prisoner of conscience, finally freed. President Macron himself publicly welcomed his release and his reunification with his French wife. France congratulated itself then on having helped wrest a human rights defender from the prisons of the Egyptian dictatorship. Today, that same State is turning against him with scandalous brutality by trying to portray him as a threat to public order. After claiming to denounce Egyptian arbitrariness, it is reproducing its logic: turning a Palestinian political voice into a security file.”
Supporters added that even if the deportation attempt is blocked, French authorities have prepared alternative punitive measures, including imposing house arrest, seizing Shaath’s passport, and requiring mandatory daily check-ins with local police.
Shaath’s case is not an isolated incident. Since the start of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza in October 2023, French student groups, teacher unions, and civil society organizations have repeatedly warned of growing systemic pressure against individuals who voice public support for Palestinian rights. Peaceful actions including demonstrations, public statements, and campus occupations have been increasingly criminalized, leading to disciplinary action, administrative fines, formal legal prosecution, and in multiple cases, permanent criminal records.
Just last month, a controversial new bill tabled in the French National Assembly would codify new penalties for public criticism of Israel, including criminal sanctions for those who deny Israel’s right to exist or compare Israel’s actions to Nazi Germany. The draft legislation also expands the definition of terrorism-linked offenses to include so-called “implicit” incitement, broadening the scope for legal action against pro-Palestinian speakers.
Context on the Egyptian political landscape further highlights the risks of deportation: the country ranks just 18 out of 100 on Freedom House’s 2024 Freedom in the World index, where lower scores reflect stricter restrictions on political rights and civil liberties. Independent human rights groups estimate that more than 60,000 political prisoners are currently detained in Egyptian facilities, and Human Rights Watch has documented that the Egyptian government engages in widespread, systematic repression of peaceful dissent, arbitrarily detaining and punishing critics and activists.
Middle East Eye, which first reported on this case, reached out to the French Interior Ministry for comment and clarification on the government’s planned deportation destination for Shaath, but had not received a response as of the publication of this report.