(MENAFN) A French tribunal has officially upheld the reversal of a previous decision to shut down College Avicenne, a Muslim educational institution located in Nice. This ruling was reported by a well-known French broadcaster.

The Marseille Administrative Court of Appeal verified the cancellation of the initial order issued by the prefecture, which sought to close the school.

The court concluded that the financial mismanagement cited did not warrant such an extreme response.

Originally, the closure directive had been issued in March 2024. However, it was temporarily halted by the Nice administrative court just one month later through an emergency judgment.

Following a more detailed evaluation, the same court permanently revoked the order in July 2024.

Authorities had justified the school’s closure by pointing to irregularities, including a loan that had been transformed into a gift worth €476,000 (around $550,608), benefitting the institution. Additionally, a separate loan granted by the school to one of its benefactors was also scrutinized.

Nevertheless, appellate magistrates concluded that permanently closing the school was “disproportionate,” considering “the minor nature of the association’s errors and inaccuracies.”

The judges also emphasized that the prefect had the option to implement a temporary closure instead.

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