Ramy Shaath: The rescued activist facing oppression again
Ramy Shaath pictured at when arriving at the courthouse in Nanterre wearing a keffiyeh, a symbol of Palestinian identity and historical resistance. Placard reads: no to deportation. Thomas Padilla, 2026.
On the 21st of May, Ramy Shaath is set to appear before Nanterre’s deportation committee as a “serious threat to public order” for his role in France’s “Palestinian cause,” as reported by Middle East Eye.
A Palestinian-Egyptian academic and organiser, Shaath was imprisoned for over 2.5 years in Egypt before being released and deported to Paris in 2022. He was prominent in the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings in Egypt, and coordinated the Egyptian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel. He even advised Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian Liberation Organisation.
Since arriving in France, Shaath did not shy away from Palestinian discourse, delivering speeches to the French senate, foregin ministry, and at rallies where he advocated for the Palestinian right to defend themselves and resist “like all people under occupation.” Shaath was named an honorary citizen of Nanterre, his current place of residence, in 2021, but still became victim to the wave of anti-Palestinian sentiment.
After his one-year visa expired, Shaath applied for a renewal in 2023 to no avail, continuing to file 10 urgent appeals fruitlessly.
On the 30th of April, Shaath received notice of the deportation proceedings noting his references to “Israel’s criminal occupation of Gaza” and his anti-Zionism stance as reasons. Shaath was even accused of “militaristic speech” while “wearing military fatigues”, despite video evidence showing him wearing beige Uniqlo trousers while giving a seated lecture. The letter notifying Shaath of these proceedings even suggested placing him under house arrest where he would be obligated to report “morning and evening” to local police.
Shaath illustrates the ambiguity of possible outcomes for him, as European laws cannot allow his return to Palestine due to Gaza being a war zone and Israeli targeting of him. Egypt is not a possibility either, considering his history. While he could be sent to a third country, Shaath expects to be left in limbo, unable to renew his French residency or access basic services.
The irony of France rejecting Israel’s forced displacement of Gazans to Egypt is not lost here. European nations have fallen into a trend of deporting Palestine activists as of last year, with Germany participating in this, the UK banning Palestine Action, and France possibly joining in. Although part of leading nations, it seems that the right to dissent, a crucial principle of democracy, has begun to crumble under the pressure of global events powerfully challenging mainstream political narratives.
The emerging discourse around Palestine is not the only event fracturing European democracy, as the EU sanctioned Diana Panchenko for her exposure of Zelensky’s corruption in 2025, dubbing her a “Russian propagandist”. Challenging elitist narratives seems to be the common denominator in these cases.
Determined to “not live under intimidation,” Shaath insists on pursuing any legal possibilities before the threat of placing him under house arrest is executed. He refuses to “stop talking about Gaza and Palestine” despite his precarious situation.
Middle East Eye, Maghrebi.org
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