French Justice Minister steps down

PanARMENIAN.Net - French Justice Minister Christiane Taubira has stepped down from her job, shortly before plans to strip people convicted of terrorism of their citizenship go before parliament, BBC News reports.

Taubira was known to disagree with the controversial proposals.

The citizenship plans were put forward after the Nov 13 Paris attacks in which 130 people were murdered.

"Sometimes staying on is resisting, sometimes resisting means leaving," she tweeted.

Taubira, one of France's few senior black politicians, has been replaced by Jean-Jacques Urvoas who is seen as a supporter of the constitutional change and an ally of Prime Minister Manuel Valls.

Born in French Guiana, Taubira, 63, has suffered racist taunts from the far-right during her time as justice minister. Her left-wing leanings have put her increasingly at odds with official policy, especially after the November attacks - when the president announced a much tougher line on terrorism, the BBC says.

A communique from the Elysee Palace said that President Francois Hollande had accepted the justice minister's decision to resign. "They agreed on the need to bring her role to an end at a time when debate on constitutional revision begins in the National Assembly, today," the statement read.