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France's Justice Minister Resigns Over Terrorism Bill

France's Justice Minister Christiane Taubira has resigned in apparent protest over President Francois Hollande's push to strip convicted terrorists of citizenship.
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France's justice minister has resigned in apparent protest over President Francois Hollande's push to strip convicted terrorists of dual citizenship.

Hollande's office issued a communique Wednesday saying the president had accepted Christiane Taubira's resignation — just before the bill born out of the Paris terror attacks is taken up by Parliament.

Image: Christiane Taubira
French Justice Minister Christiane Taubira on Jan. 20.STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN / AFP - Getty Images

"Sometimes to resist is to stay, sometimes resisting is to leave," Taubira wrote on Twitter as news of her resignation broke.

Taubira was perhaps best known for her role in France's legalization of same-sex marriage — which Hollande's office praised in announcing her departure.

However, she had experienced tensions with Prime Minister Manuel Valls, most recently over his and Hollande's push to allow convicted terrorists be stripped of their citizenship.

Taubira's public opposition to the measure had prompted some calls from the right for her to resign.

Currently, only naturalized citizens can be stripped of French citizenship. The proposed measure — which has proven deeply divisive in French politics — would extend that sanction to all dual nationals.

Hollande proposed the measure as part of constitutional changes aimed at cracking down on terrorism in wake of the Nov. 13 terror attacks in Paris which left 130 dead.

Taubira will be replaced by Jean-Jacques Urvoas, according to Hollande's office. Urvoas is widely regarded as more supportive of Valls and Hollande, according to The Associated Press.