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Rabat – France arrested a third Algerian Tiktok influencer on Sunday over inciting violence and making terrorist threats.
The news of the arrest came after two other Algerians were detained on Friday over the same allegations.
The Montpellier-based influencer was arrested after being reported by the city’s mayor for a video in which he called for violence against an Algerian dissident.
On Saturday, the mayor of Montpellier, Michael Delafosse, posted on X that “incitement to hatred is an offense” and that, as such, “there is no doubt about this video.” At the same time, the Prefect of the Hérault department described the Algerian influencer’s comments as “intolerable.”
Further investigations led to the arrest of the influencer around 4:00 pm.
“I thank all the government departments, judges, and law enforcement agencies who helped locate and arrest this individual this evening,” France’s Interior Minister, Bruno Retailleau posted on X on Sunday.
Read also: Algeria: Diplomatic Stubbornness Amidst Twisting Geopolitical Time
Ami Boualem, who operates under the username “Doualemn,” and has 139,100 followers, has reportedly made remarks directly targeting “those who wanted to demonstrate on January 1 against the Algerian regime,” according to Algerian activist Chawki Benzahra.
Also writing on X, the activist explained that “Doualemn” issued death threats against “a young activist whose death he wants because someone called Cohen shared his video,” highlighting the worrying rise in anti-Semitism in Algeria.
The mayor of Montpellier, Michael Delafosse, also indicated on X that he had joined Benzahra’s initiative by reporting the facts to the courts based on the penal code, because “incitement to hatred is a crime and as such, this video is beyond doubt.”
Meanwhile, the Hérault prefecture told AFP that there is a possibility of withdrawing Doualemn’s residence permit and issuing an OQTF against him.
On Friday, French authorities arrested two other Algerian Tiktokers, Imad Tintin and Youcef Aziria, were arrested for posting videos glorifying violence and threatening public security.
Minister Retailleu reaffirmed France’s commitment to combating extremism, emphasizing zero tolerance for messages inciting violence. “Ne rien laisser passer” (Let nothing slide) will be the driving principle of his tenure as minister, he stressed.
