an Algerian influencer arrested, he called for racial hatred and the apology of crimes

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And influencer on social networks via a video posted on Tok Tok, domiciled in Montpellier and sought since this Saturday, in particular for “apology of crimes, torture and barbarity” was located and arrested this Sunday, January 5, 2025, at 4:30 p.m. by the police, announced the Minister of the Interior at the end of the afternoon, Bruno Retailleau sur X, ex-Twitter.

He is the third Algerian influencer arrested in a few days, after Imad Tintin in Échirolles (Isère) and Zazou Youssef in Brest, for calls for racial hatred. Followed by 138,000 people on Tik Tokthe Montpellier company manager Boualem N., with the nickname “doualemn”, nicknamed “Ami (uncle) Boualem” was the subject of investigations by the national police and the judicial police, supervised by the Montpellier public prosecutor's office.

The video was spotted by many Internet users, including Chawki Benzehra, an Algerian political activist who took refuge in France. The Montpellier influencer incited acts of violence, going so far as to call for the murder of Algerian demonstrators, in particular a young activist, due to the distribution of his video on social networks.

At the express request of the interdepartmental direction of the national police -DIPN 34-, Metropolitan had not announced this Saturday that this Montpellier resident was wanted so as not to hinder the investigations carried out around the main points of contact of the suspect, nor to derail them, after the revelations of the City of Montpellier. This Saturday, January 4, 2025, in fact, the mayor, Michaël Delafosse had indicated on social networks that he had written to the public prosecutor of Montpellier “to denounce calls for racial hatred and acts of torture broadcast on the Tik Tok social network and coming from an individual residing in Montpellier. These comments were reported and reported by several Montpellier citizens, deeply shocked by the content of the messages.”

According to the mayor, “these facts can be legally qualified as public provocation to discrimination, hatred or violence against a person and apology for crimes of torture or barbarity”. Michaël Delafosse thus asked the prosecutor to initiate proceedings against the Montpellier influencer via thearticle 40 of the code of criminal procedure “ in the name of “public tranquility and respect for republican values”.

> L’article 40 of the code of procedure criminal provides that the public prosecutor receives complaints and denunciations and assesses the action to be given to them in accordance with the provisions of article 40-1: “any constituted authority, any public officer or civil servant who, in the exercise of his functions , acquires knowledge of a crime or misdemeanor is required to give notice without delay to the public prosecutor and to transmit to this magistrate all information, reports and acts relating thereto.

That same Saturday, the prefect of Hérault, François-Xavier Lauch, also announced on X that he had contacted the Montpellier public prosecutor against Boualem N: “I became aware of this video at the end of the morning. She is intolerable. I immediately contacted the public prosecutor on the basis of article 40, so that legal action could be taken regarding these comments. I will also act on the administrative level. »

According to our information, Boualem N. who was not at one of his homes, notably between the Arceaux and Cévennes sectors, was arrested “gently” this Sunday at 4:30 p.m., in the city center of Montpellier, a places where he had an address.

48 hours of police custody

Aged 61, he was placed in police custody at the central police station for 48 hours, according to a source close to the investigation for “public and direct provocation and no follow-up to commit a crime”. The investigators carrying out a preliminary investigation will notably analyze his telephone calls and the contents of his computers. This Tuesday, January 7, he will be brought before the public prosecutor who will decide on the follow-up to be given to this criminal procedure.

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