Following reports from the mayor of Montpellier and the prefect of Hérault, police officers from the local judicial police service arrested “Doualemn”, a 59-year-old Algerian, influencer with 168,000 followers on TikTok. He was referred to the prosecution this Tuesday, January 7. He would have incited not to kill but to beat an Algerian, an opponent of the power in place. He is due to be judged on February 24 but according to our information the prefect has urgently issued an expulsion order to Algeria.
The Algerian influencer “Doualemn” arrested on Sunday in Montpellier, suspected of inciting violence on the social network TikTok, was presented to the Montpellier public prosecutor's office this Tuesday, January 7 as part of a deferred appearance procedure.
And this, “waiting for the conclusions of a psychiatric assessment which will be carried out very soon” indicates the public prosecutor Fabrice Bellargent in a press release. The accused must be judged on February 24, for “public and direct provocation without effect to commit an offense or a crime.”
Will it be? In the process, this Tuesday, the prefect urgently requested a ministerial expulsion order: “Doualemn” was, as a result, taken at the end of the day to the administrative detention center of Nîmes with a view to expulsion to the Algeria.
Followed by 168,000 people on TikTok
The public prosecutor's office had received, under article 40, two reports from the mayor of Montpellier and the prefect of Hérault: they mentioned the broadcast on the social network TikTok of a video made by this 59-year-old individual, residing in Montpellier, “inciting racial hatred and calling for acts of torture” recalls the prosecutor.
The investigation by the local judicial police service (SLPJ) of Montpellier led to the arrest, on Sunday, of this Algerian national legally present on French soil.
He is “unfavorably known for various offenses committed until 2010, had a TikTok account followed by 168,000 people. He had published several dozen videos there which had collected around a million likes” continues the prosecution. He had notably been involved in drug trafficking.
The question of translating words
But in this case the delicate question of translating comments made in Arabic and subtitled in French on social networks arose.
“The translations carried out by two expert interpreters at the Montpellier Court of Appeal established that the words “kill him” had not been spoken in the reported video” explains the prosecutor. The video also did not contain a call to kill a person named Cohen.
“The accused, on the other hand, called for a severe correction, to hit a man appearing to reside in Algeria” according to Fabrice Bellargent, hence the proceedings initiated. According to our information, the person targeted would be an opponent of the regime of Algerian President Abdelmajib Tebboune and close to the FIS (Islamic Salvation Front). The accused admitted “the materiality of the facts” indicating that he was under the influence of drug substitution treatment.
“There is no call to kill”
“The knee-jerk political reaction has given way to legal and judicial serenity. The judgment date has been set for February 24, he will explain himself. He had no intention of violence, there is no appeal to murder, to kill, and he feels more French than Algerian, it will remain to be determined how the translation of his words from Arabic to French took place.”his lawyer Me Jean-Baptiste Mousset initially reacted.
But, while “Doualemn” was thinking of leaving the judicial court free on Tuesday afternoon, the prefect asked the border police to notify him of an expulsion order.
In fact, he had just benefited barely a week ago from the renewal of his 10-year residence permit in France. But due to the proceedings initiated, he is now deprived of it, which authorizes his expulsion.
An appeal against expulsion
“This person’s 10-year residence permit has been withdrawn, he is placed in an administrative detention center with a view to his removal” confirms François-Xavier Lauch, the prefect of Hérault.
“After relaying remarks that he did not make, the administrative authority seeks at all costs to remove and silence my client who has an appointment this Wednesday, January 8 with the expert psychiatrist appointed by the prosecutor and who he is summoned on February 24 deplores Me Mousset. Who will file an appeal against “these delaying tactics” expulsion.
