France's top court upheld on Friday, January 23, a ruling that strips the nationality of a Franco-Moroccan man over terrorism charges, in a rare ruling that sparked controversy on human rights.
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“The Constitutional Court noted that people having acquired French nationality and those to whom French nationality was given at birth are in the same situation, but that the difference in treatment, which was created to fight terrorism, does not violate the principle of equality,” the court wrote in a statement cited by Reuters.
Franco-Moroccan Ahmed Sahnouni el-Yaacoubi, who has been naturalized since 2003, was stripped of his nationality in 2013 after being convicted on terror charges, including recruiting extremists to fight in Afghanistan.
Appealing to the Constitutional Court to retain his nationality, the court maintained 2013 ruling that led to el-Yaacoubi's deportation to Morocco.
Arguing against the court ruling, el-Yaacoubi's lawyer said that ruling breaches his human rights.
The lawyer, Nurettin Meseci, said that the ruling was taken in an “emotional context” in the wake of Paris attacks.
The rare ruling comes a few days after announcing anti-terror measures to curb extremism following Paris attacks that left 17 killed earlier this month.
Under the new measures, the government will hire about 2,680 people and increase spending by €425m (£325m; $490m) to counter extremism in the European country.
According to Prime Minister Manuel Valls, the new strategies are crucial in the country that has about 3,000 people require monitoring.
“We should not, in any case, deprive ourselves of lawful means to ensure our values are respected,” Valls said.
Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said in a statement: “the government will continue to take the decision to strip (nationality) whenever legal conditions are appropriate.”
Muslims in France have been facing an increasing resentment after Paris attacks that left 17 killed, including two Muslims.
The National Observatory Against Islamophobia said over one hundred incidents have been reported to the police since Charlie Hebdo attacks of January 7-9.
The rise in attacks over the last two weeks represents an increase of 110 percent over the whole of January 2014, the organization said on Monday.
Moreover, a Muslim father was stabbed to death in his own home in southern France this week by a neighbor who claimed to be avenging Charlie Hebdo.
