An Egyptian imam in Italy is facing deportation over comments he made during a pro Palestine rally in Turin on 9 October. Mohamed Shahin, formerly the imam of the San Salvario mosque, is accused of describing the 7 October events as an act of resistance after years of occupation. The Interior Ministry later revoked his residence permit and issued an expulsion order.

Shahin, who has lived in Italy for twenty one years, was arrested in a dawn raid by counter terrorism police on 24 November and transferred to a repatriation center in Caltanissetta, Sicily. His asylum request is now under review. Before the Turin Court of Appeal, he argued that returning him to Egypt would expose him to torture or even death because of his criticism of President Abdel Fattah el Sisi.

His case comes as Italian authorities tighten scrutiny of public statements linked to foreign politics, especially those tied to the Middle East. Shahin’s legal team maintains that his rally remarks were political speech, not incitement, and say deportation would violate international protections for individuals at risk of persecution.