This Wednesday, the Administrative Court of Lille annulled the decision of the Prefect of Nord to terminate the association contract between the private Muslim institution Averroès and the French State.

The contract was terminated by the prefecture at the end of 2023, and after more than a year of legal proceedings, the institution will be able to receive state subsidies again.

The Administrative Court of Lille considered that the ‘serious breaches’ put forward by the prefecture did not justify the termination of the association contract. Moreover, the court denounced a legal procedure ‘marred by irregularities’.

This decision is good news for the respect of the rights of Muslim individuals and institutions, in a national context where political and media discourses fuel and encourage Islamophobic discrimination.