A Palestinian man who was granted asylum in France has been detained in French prisons for over a year and a half "at Israel's request" and has reportedly had his refugee status revoked, according to a group advocating on his behalf.
According to the Free Ali (Liberez Ali) group, the man - known only as Ali - has been held in pre-trial detention in France since his arrest in May 2024 "because the Israeli authorities forwarded charges against [him] to the French authorities".
Ali was expelled from Israel in 2014 after being detained several times without any charges being brought against him. He has lived for nearly a decade in France, where he was granted asylum and refugee status.
In the early morning of 28 May 2024, French police stormed his family home, broke down his apartment door, damaged his partner's car and ransacked the apartment, including the children's bedrooms, according to the Free Ali group.
The Palestinian and his partner were "brutally" arrested in front of their young children. She was held in custody for many hours, during which time the police threatened her with imprisonment and the loss of custody of the children, even though she was not subsequently subjected to any legal proceedings.
