Italian court frees imam detained over pro-Palestinian comments
Italy's right-wing parties condemn the ruling as 'political' and 'shameful', while opposition and civil groups welcome the decision of the appeals court in the city of Turin.
An Italian appeals court has ordered the release of an Egyptian imam who had been facing deportation after authorities said comments he made at a pro-Palestinian demonstration posed a threat to public security.
According to local media reports, the Turin Court of Appeal ruled that the statements made by Mohammed Shahin, a 47-year-old imam based in the northern city of Turin, did not justify his removal from the country.
Deportation proceedings had been launched by Italy’s Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi after Shahin spoke at a rally on October 9 in support of Palestine, where he said the events of October 2023 were “not a violation or an act of violence.”
Italian authorities argued that the remarks constituted a risk to public order.
Shahin was detained on November 24 and transferred to a migrant repatriation centre in Caltanissetta, on the island of Sicily.
His lawyers appealed against the deportation order, arguing that his comments did not amount to a threat to public security.
The Turin Court of Appeal accepted the defence’s argument and ruled that Shahin should be released.
The decision has drawn strong criticism from parties in Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing coalition government.
Several senior figures described the ruling as “political” and “shameful.”
However, opposition left-wing parties, as well as trade unions and civil society groups, welcomed the court’s decision.
They had argued that Shahin’s statements did not constitute a criminal offence and that he should not be deported to Egypt.
Calls for Shahin’s release were also voiced during a pro-Palestinian march held in the Italian capital, Rome, on December 13.