The mayor of the city of Béziers (southern France), Robert Ménard, will appear before the court, on Wednesday, in the case of his refusal to contract a marriage between a French woman and an Algerian man, against whom an order had been issued to leave French territory. The case, which emerged in July 2023, turned into a wide legal and political controversy, as it raises questions about the limits of the powers of mayors, the right to marry, and the extent to which the administrative status of foreigners affects the exercise of this right.

Published on: 09/30/2026 - 11:28 Last updated: 09/30/2026 - 11:30

Robert Menard, mayor of the city of Béziers, located in southern France, appears before a Montpellier court on charges of refusing to contract a marriage between a French woman and an illegal Algerian resident, who was ordered to leave French territory.

Minar, who was elected for the first time as mayor of this municipality in March 2014, faces a five-year prison sentence, in addition to losing his position as mayor, as well as being banned from running for elections, and paying a fine that may reach 75 thousand euros.

This case dates back to July 2023, when Robert Ménard was scheduled to hold a marriage between Eva Marty and Mustafa (23 years old), who was ordered to leave French territory (OQTF).

Based on this decision, Menard refused to perform the marriage on the grounds that he was questioning its credibility, and that the goal behind it was only to settle the legal and administrative status of the young Algerian residing illegally in France.

Bruno Rotayo attends the trial to support Menard

After the marriage ceremony was cancelled, the two young men filed a complaint with the Béziers police station, based on an article in the European Convention on Human Rights that guarantees the right of every person to marry, and does not allow him to be deprived of this right because of his religion, the color of his skin, or his administrative and legal status in the country in which he resides.

For its part, the Public Prosecution in Montpellier considered that the evidence presented by the Mayor of Béziers was not sufficient to prove the existence of a formal marriage between the two people, and that submitting to an order to leave French territory does not prevent the person, in and of itself, from getting married.

This issue quickly took on major political and media dimensions. The political class was divided between those who defended Robert Ménard’s decision and those who opposed it, given that marriage is a legitimate right.

Read also: Opinion poll in France: “The French want to ban marriage to foreigners in an illegal situation.”

To defend his position and decision, Menard invited both President Emmanuel Macron and the leader of the Republican Party, Bruno Rutayo, to attend the trial session. Rotayo accepted to attend the session and stand alongside the mayor of Béziers and defend him.

The mayor of Cannes (Côte d'Azur region), David Lenard, who has been president of the French Association of Mayors since 2021, also announced his side with Menard during the trial.

Was there a sham marriage?

In a statement to the regional newspaper "Midi Libre", Antoine Savinha, Robert Ménard's lawyer, said: “Bruno Rotayo has always declared his support for Robert Ménard, and has always criticized the legal situation in which the mayor of Béziers finds himself. As for David Lenard, he is the mayor of Cannes and president of the Association of Mayors of France.”

The lawyer added: “The trial, in the eyes of Menar’s supporters, is not related to the person of Menar alone, but rather to the role of the mayor, his powers, and his responsibility in exercising his duties.”

For his part, Robert Menard confirmed in a video: “I just left the prosecutor’s office and refused to plead guilty. I find it absurd, and absolutely meaningless, for me to be considered guilty today. I am not responsible for anything in this story.”

As for the young woman, Eva Marti, who was prevented from marrying her lover, she said in a statement to the newspaper “Midi Libre”: “The investigations carried out by the police did not reveal that there was a sham marriage. In addition, no judicial conviction was issued against my companion, and he is not a criminal.” She asked: “What should we offer in order to be treated as ordinary people like others?”

The two young men's lawyer, Vanessa Iberg, added that Menard "obstructed a decision issued by the Public Prosecution, which did not prevent the marriage from being concluded, but on the contrary, it asked him to perform the marriage."

Before the trial, the lawyer expressed, in a statement to the French Press Agency, her “deep concern,” noting that she had received “threats.” She added: “We do not want to hide, because we have nothing to hide,” explaining that she refused to attend committees or support groups, “because we are here to enforce the law, not to engage in politics.”

It is worth noting that a draft law was presented before the Laws Committee of the French National Assembly, aiming to prohibit the conclusion of marriage for persons residing in France illegally. The Association of Mayors of France supported this project, while the mayors of cities and regions that welcomed and supported immigrants described it as perpetuating “discrimination.”

France 24

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