The couple that Robert Ménard refused to marry this Friday July 7 at the town hall of Béziers (Hérault), because of the obligation to leave the territory which weighs on the Algerian fiancé, filed a complaint against the elected official. The various right mayor is indeed illegal, while the prosecution has confirmed at this stage that it was not a sham marriage.
They waited for almost an hour, in the hall of the town hall of Béziers (Herault), that someone wants to marry them. This Friday, July 7 at 11 a.m. should have been celebrated the marriage between an Algerian and a Frenchwoman.
Issueaccording to Robert Menardthe mayor of the city, the young man of 23 years is under the blow of a OQTF (Obligation of Quit French Territory) and is known to the police for theft, concealment and assault. “I know I made a mistake, but I’m not a delinquent“, opposes the words of the mayor the young man, at the microphone of the journalist of France 3 Occitanie Sébastien Banus. “As long as my wife is with me, I don’t care about Ménard. If I have to get married elsewhere, I’ll do it, even if it means going to Algeria and then coming back to France afterwards with the papers.”
Faced with the persistent refusal of the mayor, a time close to the far right, and his deputies, the two fiancés went to file a complaint at the police station against the city councilor. The latter cannot legally oppose this union as long as the Béziers public prosecutor’s office, on the basis of an investigation carried out by the services of the town hall, has established the consent of the promised two, reminding Robert Menard that marriage is a fundamental right. The prosecution, however, indicated that it had seized, on June 26, the interdepartmental directorate of the border police (DIDPAF) in order to fully ensure the legality of this marriage.
We are very much in love with each other, it’s not a sham marriage at all.
The young Algerian under OQTF (Obligation to leave French territory).
The couple strongly denounced theattitude of the‘elected in their regard, feeling held hostage. This case has indeed taken a twist important media since the mayor various-right brought it to the attention of the public by giving an interview to Le Figaro, Wednesday July 5. Witness the presence of journalists from CNews, M6 or even BFM TV there this morning. The groom claims that theOQTF would be actually linked to an administrative oversight on his part. “I grew up in France, I’ve been here for seven years, I have a French diploma”he claims in his defense.
I’m not going to marry someone who the law tells me is not welcome in France and should be deported! The police just had to come and get him.
Robert Ménard, mayor of Béziers (Hérault).
Lakepicture (an association of solidarity and political support for migrants, refugees and displaced persons), denounces for his part a communication operation on the part of the right-wing mayor.