France holds Algerian influencers for inciting violence

LYON: French authorities were today holding two Algerians who have wide followings on social media platform TikTok on suspicion of inciting terror, after they allegedly published posts urging acts of violence in France.

The arrests of the two men – in Brest in the west of France and Grenoble in the southeast – comes against the background of growing political tensions between Paris and its former colony.

French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot said today he had “doubts” over the commitment of Algeria to follow a roadmap set out by the two sides in 2022 to smooth post-colonial relations.

A video blogger known as “Imad Tintin” was arrested on Friday outside Grenoble after publishing a video that urged followers to “burn alive, kill and rape on French territory”.

The post was taken down but hardline right-wing interior minister Bruno Retailleau published a video grab on his social media accounts, condemning the publication as “vile”.

“Nothing will go unanswered,” Retailleau warned.

The blogger, 31, is due to appear before a judge later today with a view to being charged and remanded in custody ahead of a fast-track trial tomorrow, said regional prosecutor Eric Vaillant.

“Imad Tintin” entered France in December 2021 and applied for a residence permit in August 2023 after his marriage to a French woman.

But his application was refused and he is also subject to an expulsion order.

He was arrested with his twin brother, according to a police source, who asked not to be named but who added that a search of their home revealed the sets used for the video which had more than 800,000 views.

Prosecutors have not given details over the situation of the brother.

‘War waged in France’

In the other case, a 25-year-old Algerian identified as Youcef A but known on social media as Zazou Youssef was remanded in custody on Friday in the western city of Brest, prosecutor Camille Miansoni said in a statement.

He will stand trial there on Feb 24 on a charge of “publicly advocating an act of terrorism”, she said.

He faces up to seven years in jail and a €100,000 fine if convicted, the statement added.

Zazou Youssef appeared in a video posted on TikTok on Dec 31, calling for attacks in France and violence in Algeria.

The suspect was living in France on a temporary residency permit.

TikTok told AFP the account from which the video was posted had been banned for posting several videos that broke its rules on hate speech.

Tensions have surged between France and Algeria after President Emmanuel Macron renewed French support for Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed territory of Western Sahara during a landmark visit to the kingdom last year.

Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony, is de facto controlled for the most part by Morocco.

But it is claimed by the Sahrawi separatists of the Polisario Front, who are demanding a self-determination referendum and are supported by Algiers.

French-Algerian novelist Boualem Sansal, a major figure in modern francophone literature, has meanwhile been imprisoned by Algerian authorities since mid-November on national security charges.

Barrot told RTL today that Algeria’s positions “make us doubt the intention of the Algerians” to stick to the roadmap on improving ties.

“There needs to be two of us,” he said, adding that the he believed Algeria’s basis for arresting Sansal “was not valid” and that he was “worried” about the 75-year-old writer’s health.

“Zazou Youssef” and “Imad Tintin” have joined “the war waged in France by the Algerian regime”, Chawki Benzehra, an Algerian dissident who took refuge in France after taking part in pro-democracy demonstrations in 2019, told AFP.

He accused the Algerian authorities of mobilising a “significant” number of influencers calling for “violence”.

Benzehra said he had also filed a complaint on Friday in Lyon for threats made against him by “Imad Tintin”.