After several months of internal tensions and suspicions of mismanagement, the judiciary decided on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, to place the En-Nour Mosque in Nice under judicial administration. This decision marks a new stage in a case that has been stirring the Muslim community of Nice since spring.
The En-Nour Mosque, located in the western district of Nice, is at the center of a case involving finances, internal governance, and religious disputes. On Wednesday, October 15, 2025, the court decided to place the religious association under guardianship for a period of six months. The management of the establishment will now be handled by a judicial administrator.
This measure comes after months of tensions within the institute. The current president, Adil Echaoui, in office since March 2025, had raised concerns about anomalies in the association’s accounts. A former treasurer, he claims to have discovered significant irregularities in the handling of donations. “I realize that no cash deposit is being made into the association’s bank account,” he explains.
These suspicions were confirmed when a sum of €126,485 in cash was found in a black box within the mosque itself. This discovery caused deep unease among the faithful and volunteers. Some had already condemned the establishment’s management as opaque and went on strike a few months earlier.
In response to these accusations, Imam Mahmoud Benzamia, targeted by the criticism, defended himself. His lawyer, Me Ouassini Mebarek, claims that the money corresponds “to several years of donations, which were kept in the association’s safe.” He specifies: “In no way does this come from foreign funds; it corresponds solely to donations from local worshippers.”
But these explanations were not enough to ease tensions. According to the president, “hundreds of thousands of euros” are still missing, and the imam allegedly refused an attempt at mediation.
A closely followed case in Nice
The En-Nour case now goes beyond the internal framework of the mosque. Located in the Var plain tech hub, the Grand Mosque of Nice had already been the subject of controversies during its construction in 2016. Mayor Christian Estrosi opposed the project, fearing foreign financing.
In recent weeks, he intervened again after the revelation of new initiatives linked to Imam Mahmoud Benzamia. In June, a new association allegedly was created to open a Quranic and Arabic school. Our colleagues from Nice-Matin revealed that Dr. Mawazini, an associate of the imam, attempted to obtain the lease of Mas des Cigales in Nice-Nord, presenting it as a medical office project. Alerted, Christian Estrosi contacted the prefect.
The imam had already sparked controversy in March after calling Nice a “hateful and racist” city during an intervention on an Algerian television channel. He later clarified that his remarks had been “taken out of context.”
Today, the Muslim community in Nice is concerned about the image these recurring issues project. The En-Nour Mosque, meant to be a place of worship and religious teaching, has become a symbol of division. “I shook things up significantly, and now I am a target, I’m being threatened,” admits Adil Echaoui.
Pending the conclusions of the judicial audit, Quranic courses are suspended. The judicial administration will need to restore transparency in the accounts and attempt to ease internal relations.
This case, closely followed in Nice, illustrates the management difficulties faced by certain places of worship, where trust between leaders and faithful has been weakened. The judiciary’s decision could mark a turning point for the En-Nour institute, as well as for the dialogue between the city and the Muslim community in Nice.
