The Belgian Office of the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons (CGRS) has officially revoked the refugee status of Mohammed Khatib, the European coordinator for the controversial group Samidoun, the Belga news agency reported on Thursday.
Khatib, who has been residing in Belgium since 2015, plans to appeal the decision, according to the report.
Belgian authorities cited Khatib’s involvement with Samidoun, an organization that presents itself as an international network supporting Palestinian Arab prisoners.
The day after the October 7 massacre, Samidoun published a celebratory image depicting a paraglider with the slogan "From the river to the sea," aiming to praise the attack.
Khatib had described the massacre as "a normal response of a population living under colonialism" and called the attackers heroes. He refuses to recognize Israel's right to exist and supports the dismantling of the state.
He also expressed open admiration for Hamas and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - two organizations listed on the European Union's terrorist organization list. In May 2024, his organization held a "Resistance Festival" in Brussels, where a senior Hamas official appeared as a guest speaker.
Belgian Jewish MP Michael Freilich, who serves as a special envoy for intercultural dialogue at the European Jewish Association, welcomed the decision.
"The time for excuses is over. When you glorify the murder of Nova youth and call it resistance, you have no place in a civilized democracy," he said.
The Belgian government views Samidoun as an extremist, radical group. Prior to the summer break, Belgium’s Interior Minister, Bernard Quintin, presented a draft law aimed at banning radical organizations.
Samidoun has garnered attention since the onset of the Israel-Gaza conflict, with Jewish organizations repeatedly raising alarms about its activities. In November 2023, Samidoun was banned in Germany for promoting antisemitism and glorifying terrorist groups, including Hamas.