LYON: French authorities on Sunday held three Algerians suspected of inciting violence in TikTok videos, with at least two of them facing terror-related charges.
\nThe arrests come amid growing political tensions between Paris and its former North African colony.
\nA video blogger known as \u201cImad Tintin\u201d was arrested Friday outside Grenoble after publishing a video urging followers to \u201cburn alive, kill and rape on French territory.\u201d
\nThe post was taken down after receiving 800,000 views but hard-line right-wing Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau published a video grab on his social media accounts, condemning the publication as \u201cvile.\u201d
\nA judge on Sunday placed the 31-year-old blogger under judicial supervision, Grenoble prosecutors said.
\nHe was due to appear Monday in a fast-track trial on charges of \u201cdirect incitement of an act of terrorism,\u201d the state prosecution service said.
\n\u201cImad Tintin\u201d 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.<\/p>\n
In a second case, a 25-year-old Algerian identified as Youcef A. but known on social media as Zazou Youssef was remanded in custody Friday in the western city of Brest, prosecutor Camille Miansoni said in a statement.
\nHe will stand trial there on February 24 on a charge of \u201cpublicly advocating an act of terrorism\u201d in posts to his hundreds of thousands of TikTok followers, she said.
\nHe faces up to seven years in jail and a 100,000-euro ($103,000) fine if convicted, the statement added.
\nZazou Youssef appeared in a video posted on TikTok on December 31, calling for attacks in France and violence in Algeria.
\nHe was living in France on a temporary residency permit.
\nTikTok told AFP the account from which the video was posted had been banned for posting several videos that broke its rules on hate speech.<\/p>\n
Prosecutors announced the arrests of Imad Tintin and Yousseff on Friday and Interior minister Bruno Retailleau on Sunday announced a third arrest.
\nThe third man was detained in the southern coastal city of Montpellier for violent comments targeting an Algerian activist opposed to that country\u2019s government.
\nProsecutors told AFP local authorities had reported a video in which the influencer said of the activist: \u201cKill him, let him suffer.\u201d
\nThe regional prefect\u2019s office told AFP it was considering withdrawing that blogger\u2019s residence permit and issuing an expulsion order.<\/p>\n
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.
\nWestern Sahara, a former Spanish colony, is mostly under the de facto control of 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.
\nFrench-Algerian novelist Boualem Sansal, a major figure in modern francophone literature, has meanwhile been imprisoned by the Algerian authorities since mid-November on national security charges.
\nMentioning Sansal\u2019s case on Sunday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said he had \u201cdoubts\u201d over Algeria\u2019s commitment to a roadmap set out by the two sides in 2022 to smooth post-colonial relations.
\n\u201cZazou Youssef\u201d and \u201cImad Tintin\u201d have joined \u201cthe war waged in France by the Algerian regime,\u201d Chawki Benzehra, an Algerian dissident, told AFP.
\nBenzehra took refuge in France after taking part in pro-democracy demonstrations in 2019.
\nHe accused the Algerian authorities of mobilizing a \u201csignificant\u201d number of influencers calling for \u201cviolence.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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