French Police Arrest Five Members of Anti-Islamophobia Group

French Police Arrest Five Members of Anti-Islamophobia Group PARIS, May 15, 2025 – Five members of the Collectif contre l'islamophobie en Europe (CCIE), a prominent anti-Islamophobia group, were arrested and detained in France on Tuesday, May 13th. The arrests stem from an investigation initiated in October 2023, based on a report by Gérald Darmanin, then the Minister of the Interior. The investigation centers on allegations of incitement to terrorism and discrimination. According to police sources, the individuals were apprehended at their homes in the Val-d'Oise region. The CCIE has been under scrutiny for its activities. "We are cooperating fully with the investigation," said a spokesperson for the CCIE, although the spokesperson declined to comment further on the specifics of the case. The investigation is ongoing, and further details are expected to emerge in the coming days. Two additional individuals linked to the CCIE were also under investigation but were abroad at the time of the arrests. Their involvement remains a focus of the ongoing inquiry. The arrests have sparked debate about freedom of expression and the limits of activism in France.