French Authorities Arrest Another Algerian TikToker Over Calls for Violence

Doha – French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau announced Wednesday morning the arrest of Algerian influencer Rafik Meziane, who allegedly used TikTok to incite violent acts on French territory. This arrest comes amid escalating diplomatic tensions between Paris and Algiers.

The minister thanked law enforcement for their “professionalism” and emphasized a zero-tolerance approach, though he did not specify where the arrest took place.

This incident follows a series of arrests of Algerian social media personalities in France.

Earlier this month, another influencer, Mahdi B., was detained and imprisoned, while “Doualemn,” a 59-year-old Algerian maintenance worker and father of two, was arrested in Montpellier after posting what authorities deemed a controversial TikTok video.

The Doualemn case sparked particular controversy when Algerian authorities refused to accept him after French officials attempted to deport him on January 9.

He was subsequently returned to France the same evening, with a judge extending his detention by 26 days on January 12.

“Algeria seeks to humiliate France,” Retailleau declared following the failed deportation. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot warned that France would have “no choice but to retaliate” if “Algerians continue this escalation stance.”

The arrests take place amid deteriorating Franco-Algerian relations, following Paris’ recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara and the ongoing detention of French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal in Algeria since mid-November.

French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu criticized what he called “the current excesses of the Algerian government,” stating on France Inter radio that “disliking France has become a matter of domestic politics” in Algeria.

The diplomatic crisis has prompted French officials to consider various measures, including a potential reduction in visa allocations to Algerian nationals, reassessment of the 1968 Franco-Algerian agreement governing Algerian citizens’ rights in France, and possible decreases in development aid to Algeria, which amounted to €131.79 million in 2022.

In 2023, France issued 646,462 residence permits to Algerian nationals, exceeding those granted to Moroccan citizens (603,482), according to the French national directorate for foreigners.