Grégory Doucet, the Green Party (EELV) mayor of Lyon, is under heavy criticism for awarding honorary citizenship to Hussam Abu Safiya, a pediatrician and hospital director in Gaza who has been accused by Israeli authorities of ties to Hamas.
The recognition was part of the city’s annual ceremony on December 13, 2025, marking International Human Rights Day, during which six individuals were honored for their dedication to defending fundamental freedoms. Abu Safiya was described by the municipality as “a symbol of courage among Gaza’s medical professionals,” with a public plaque praising his choice to remain in Gaza amid the collapse of its health system, calling it both a moral duty and an act of resistance.
However, controversy erupted following reports that Abu Safiya has been imprisoned by Israel since December 2024, accused of operating a hospital allegedly used as a Hamas command center. Critics argue that by honoring him, Lyon is effectively legitimizing a figure connected to a terrorist organization.
French MP Caroline Yadan (Ensemble pour la République) strongly condemned the decision, referring to Abu Safiya as “a Hamas colonel” and “a notorious Islamist” in a post on X (formerly Twitter). She cited a Facebook post reportedly made by Abu Safiya on October 9, 2023—two days after the Hamas massacre in Israel—which included a Quranic verse about God striking terror and an image of parachutes resembling the tactics used by Hamas militants.
Alain Jakubowicz, honorary president of LICRA (International League against Racism and Antisemitism), also denounced the award, saying it “tarnishes the history of the city of Lyon.” Former Olympique Lyonnais president and past mayoral candidate Jean-Michel Aulas added his disapproval, calling the decision “a mistake,” warning against “importing foreign conflicts” and “instrumentalizing trauma for political purposes.”
The Lyon city council has yet to respond publicly to the growing criticism.
