COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Denmark’s Supreme Court on Wednesday stripped the citizenship from a Danish-Moroccan bookseller jailed for inciting terrorism, upholding the verdict of a lower court and potentially paving the way for his deportation to Morocco.

Sam Mansour, now 56, was found guilty of supporting al Qaeda and Syria’s al-Nusra Front in posts on Facebook and for his help in publishing books by Abu Qatada, a Jordanian cleric who was deported from Britain for trial at home.

He was sentenced to four years in jail in December 2014, but the prosecution sought also to strip him of his citizenship, possible only because he still has Moroccan citizenship.

Denmark’s high court took the initial decision to strip Mansour of his Danish citizenship last July, in the first case of its kind in the country. He appealed against that ruling, arguing that he would face torture if returned to Morocco.

It was not immediately clear after the Supreme Court’s ruling on Wednesday whether he would serve out the remainder of his jail term or be deported immediately to Morocco.

Mansour’s defense lawyer told Danish television his client would appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.

“He (Mansour) has a big connection to Denmark due to his long residence in the country, and his children and grandchildren are in the country. And finally, he has been punished for mere statements, not actions,” the lawyer said.