The French government has taken decisive action. In an order signed on June 16, the Ministries of the Interior and Economy froze the assets of the European Institute of Human Sciences (IESH), located in Saint-Léger-de-Fougeret in the Nièvre region. According to the French news magazine Le Point, the measure also personally targets two senior executives of the institute. The freeze will remain in effect for six months, with the possibility of renewal. The IESH trains hundreds of students each year in Islamic sciences. Although officially non-political, the institute has recently come under scrutiny for alleged ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. A report released in early May reignited these suspicions, suggesting that the curriculum focuses exclusively on «Islamic sciences and Quranic studies», despite promotional materials claiming broader humanistic and cultural education. The institute's director, Mohamed Karmous, a French-Tunisian, and the head of its Quranic studies department, Saïd Bouhdifi, a Belgian-Moroccan, are directly affected by the measure. No funds may be transferred to them, and no financial transactions may occur without prior authorization from the public treasury. In effect, the institute is financially frozen. To continue operations, the leadership will need to file an appeal. However, a standard administrative appeal does not suspend the decision. Only an urgent appeal before the administrative court could yield a rapid response, if they can demonstrate a serious violation of the law or an infringement on fundamental freedoms. The asset freeze follows a police raid on the institute last December. The ongoing investigation is focused on suspected money laundering, breach of trust, and undeclared foreign funding, in relation to the August 2021 law on upholding the principles of the Republic. According to the Nevers prosecutor, «the search operation was fruitful». Le Point reports that the IESH did not respond to requests for comment. The institute had planned to host summer workshops and reopen in September, but whether it will be able to resume its activities remains uncertain.
