Deux influenceurs Tiktok arrêtés. ILLUSTRATION TIKTOK
Two Algerian influencers were arrested on Friday, January 3 in Brest and near Grenoble for videos posted on TikTok accused of advocating terrorism or issuing death threats.
Around 6 a.m., police officers intervened in a working-class neighborhood in Brest and arrested Youcef A., 25, accused of calling for attacks, as well as another 41-year-old man, also Algerian, suspected of being his accomplice, who was putting him up.
The two men “were both taken into custody for acts of apology for acts of terrorism and incitement to hatred and violence“, Brest public prosecutor Camille Miansoni told AFP, stressing that investigations were continuing.
In the evening, Bruno Retailleau, who had already announced the first arrests, reported the arrest of another “Algerian influencer“, known as “imadtintin“. “He too will have to answer for the vile remarks made on TikTok before the courts. Don't let anything go”, commented the Minister of the Interior on X.
This second influencer was“arrested in Échirolles around 7:30 p.m. and taken into custody for death threats materialized in writing, image or other object committed because of race, ethnicity, nation or religion”, indicated the prosecutor of Grenoble Eric Vaillant.
200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000Originally, on Tuesday, December 31, a video was published on the social network TikTok, where the influencer based in Brittany, followed by hundreds of thousands of subscribers, expressed himself vehemently in Arabic, subtitled in French, calling for attacks in France and violence in Algeria.
“When the police informed me that they had detected this video, I asked them to contact the public prosecutor's office immediately so that a judicial inquiry immediately gives us the means to investigate,” the prefect of Finistère Alain Espinasse told AFP.
This video was also sent to the Pharos platform for reporting illegal content on the internet.“The Algerian influencer Zazouyoussef who called on his community to commit attacks in France will have to answer for his actions before the courts”, declared Bruno Retailleau on X.
According to TikTok, questioned by AFP, the account in question “was banned after the publication of several videos identified as violating our community rules, in particular our policies relating to hate”. “Six copies of the videos concerned” were also detected and deleted, indicates TikTok.
Appeal of his conviction
Youcef A., born in Mostaganem in northwestern Algeria, declared that he arrived in France in 2020, and received a residence permit in March 2023, valid until March 14, 2024, according to Mr. Espinasse.
“He had a residence permit as the parent of a French child since he had a child with a person of French nationality“, the prefect specified.
During the urban riots that shook France after Nahel's death in June 2023, Youcef A. was arrested for taking part in the degradation of a sports complex in Brest and sentenced in December to twelve months in prison.
“He appealed immediately”, which explains why he was not imprisoned, Mr. Espinasse said. The hearing of his appeal trial is “awaiting to be set”, according to the Rennes Court of Appeal.
“Given the facts of which he was guilty, when his residence permit expired in March 2024, I decided not to renew it and he was notified on April 18, 2024 of an Obligation to Leave French Territory (OQTF)” , he said.
After the issuance of his OQTF, Youcef A. was “registered in the Wanted Persons File (FPR)” , added the prefect, specifying that the young man was neither on the S file nor identified for radicalization.
According to a tweet from an Algerian activist reposted by Bruno Retailleau, the influencer Imadtintin had for his part published a video, removed after the arrest of “Zazouyoussef”, calling for “burning alive, killing and raping on French soil”.