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An Italian appeals court ordered Tuesday the release of Egyptian imam Mohamed Shaheen, overturning a deportation decision that accused him of posing a threat to public security over remarks made at a pro-Palestinian demonstration, a ruling that has sparked sharp political reactions across Italy.
The decision came after authorities said comments he made at a pro-Palestinian demonstration posed a threat to public security.
Mohamed Shaheen, formerly an imam at Turin’s San Salvario mosque, allegedly described the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, which caused the deaths of 1,200 people, as an act of “resistance after years of occupation.”
The 47-year-old, who has been a resident in Italy for 21 years, was arrested in a dawn raid by counterterrorism police on Nov. 24 after the Interior Ministry issued an expulsion order and revoked his residence permit.
Shaheen’s case became the subject of a political dispute between right- and left-wing parties in Italy, with authorities arguing that the remarks constituted a risk to public order.
According to local media reports, the Turin Court of Appeal ruled that statements made by Mohamed Shaheen did not justify his removal from the country.
Deportation proceedings had been launched by Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi after Shaheen spoke at a rally on Oct. 9 in support of Palestine, where he said the events of October 2023 were “not a violation or an act of violence.”
Shaheen was detained on Nov. 24 and transferred to a migrant repatriation center in Caltanissetta, on the island of Sicily.
His lawyers appealed the deportation order, arguing that his comments did not amount to a threat to public security.
The Turin Court of Appeal accepted the defense’s arguments, ruling that Shaheen does not pose a threat to public security in Italy, and ordered his release from the deportation center.
The ruling dealt a political blow to Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, who had been insisting on Shaheen’s deportation.
Ruling right-wing parties strongly criticized the Turin court’s decision to release Shaheen, claiming the ruling was political and disgraceful.
Italy’s right-wing coalition government is led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who is known for her strong support of Israel, despite Italians being among the most pro-Palestinian publics in Europe.
By contrast, the Court of Appeal’s decision was welcomed by left-wing opposition parties, as well as some trade unions and nongovernmental organizations.
Many demonstrators had called for Shaheen’s release during a pro-Palestine march held in the capital, Rome, on Dec. 13.
Earlier, an opinion poll showed that 59% of Italians favor cutting ties with Israel.
In May, the governor of the Apulia region in southern Italy, Michele Emiliano, announced the severing of ties with the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been issued an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court.
The move was made in protest against the genocide of unarmed Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
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