PARIS – A prominent Palestinian-Egyptian pro-Palestinian activist has leveled serious accusations against French authorities, claiming the government is attempting to deport him under the guise of public security threats in retaliation for his vocal advocacy on behalf of Palestinian rights. Ramy Shaath, 54, made the claims in a pre-recorded video statement posted to social media platforms on May 14, arguing that the pending deportation order is not an isolated measure, but part of a wider coordinated effort to muzzle Palestinian voices and their supporters across France.
Shaath co-founded the grassroots pro-Palestinian group Urgence Palestine shortly after the outbreak of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, a role he says has put him directly in the crosshairs of French officials. He told viewers that the latest action comes after multiple previous legal attempts to target him fell short, leaving authorities to pursue deportation as an alternative tactic to silence his work.
Born with dual Egyptian-Palestinian citizenship, Shaath has a long track record of nonviolent activism. In 2014, he established the Egyptian national chapter of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, an international campaign focused on pressure against Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories. His activism extends beyond Palestinian issues: he participated in Egypt’s 2011 pro-democracy uprising, and has long tied his support for Palestinian rights to opposition to authoritarian rule across the Arab world. He was arrested by Egyptian authorities in 2019, held for more than two and a half years without formal charges in degrading conditions – including a crowded, insect-infested cell and later isolated confinement in a windowless room – before being released in January 2022. His release drew public praise from French President Emmanuel Macron at the time.
Shaath has deep family ties to France: he is married to a French national, and the couple shares a French-Palestinian daughter. Even with these connections, he says officials have already created significant barriers to his life in the country long before the deportation order was announced. He told reporters he faced extensive delays and hurdles when attempting to renew his French residency permit. Beyond immigration issues, he alleges his bank account was shut down without advance warning and his national health insurance card was suspended, administrative actions that have severely disrupted his ability to hold employment, travel across borders, and access critical medical care.
As of Tuesday, France’s Interior Ministry has not issued any public response to Shaath’s allegations or answered requests for comment from news outlets. The activist says he and his legal team intend to mount a robust legal challenge to the deportation proceedings, bringing the case before both French national courts and the European Court of Human Rights to defend his right to remain in France and continue his nonviolent advocacy work.