[JURIST Europe] French judges ruled Wednesday against the deportation of a 21-year old Mauritanian man accused of participating in the suburban riots [JURIST report] that broke out across France last month. The regional court in Pontoise [official website], a town of 30,000 just outside Paris, concluded that allegations against the alleged rioter of "grave acts of violence against a law enforcement officer" had not been established. The arrested Mauritanian, who had not been charged with any criminal offense, has been in France since he was three, had never been convicted of a crime, and had valid residency papers. The bid to have him deported followed a pledge by French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy [official profile in French] to deport all non-French citizens involved in the riots [JURIST report]. The final deportation decision will be made by the local prefecture. Expatica has more.

Angela Onikepe is an Associate Editor for JURIST Europe, reporting European legal news from a European perspective. She is based in the UK.