An Algerian influencer known as Imad Tintin, support of another Algerian already prosecuted in Brest for advocating terrorism, was presented to a judge on Sunday with a view to an immediate comparison on Monday for “direct provocation to an act of terrorism”indicated the Grenoble public prosecutor’s office.
Imad Tintin was arrested Friday evening in Echirolles, near Grenoble, after publishing a video, since removed, calling for “burn alive, kill and rape on French soil”according to an image capture taken by the Minister of the Interior, Bruno Retailleau, who made comments “despicable”.
Contrary to the requisitions of the public prosecutor’s office, which had requested pre-trial detention, the judge of freedoms and detention decided on Sunday to place the influencer under simple judicial control, indicated the Grenoble public prosecutor’s office. His immediate appearance is confirmed for Monday 1:30 p.m.
Aged 31, he supported Youcef A., alias Zazou Youssef, another Algerian influencer living in France, placed in pre-trial detention until his trial on February 24 by the Brest court for advocating an act of terrorism, after having called for violent acts via videos.
Imad Tintin entered France in December 2021 and applied in August 2023, without success, for a residence permit after his marriage to a French woman. He is, like Zazou Youssef, subject to an OQTF (obligation to leave French territory).
He was arrested with his brother Jumeau, according to a police source who specifies that a search of their home made it possible to find the sets used for the video with more than 800,000 views. The Grenoble public prosecutor’s office did not specify the situation of the twin brother.
For their part, the mayor of Montpellier Michaël Delafosse (PS) and the prefect of Hérault François-Xavier Lauch reported on Saturday “to the public prosecutor the publication on the social network TikTok of a video emanating from an influencer residing in Montpellier”the Montpellier prosecutor’s office told AFP on Sunday.
“Kill him, let him suffer,” launches this Algerian influencer in particular, evoking an Algerian anti-regime demonstrator. The prosecution immediately seized “the Montpellier police station of an investigation into the charge of public and direct provocation and no follow-up to commit a crime”.
“Investigations are ongoing,” said the Montpellier public prosecutor’s office.
Michaël Delafosse recalled on Saturday on “incitement to hatred is a crime” and that as such “There is no doubt about this video.” Video qualified by the prefect of Hérault, on the same social network, as“intolerable”.
The Hérault prefecture also informed AFP that it was studying the possibility of withdrawing his residence permit from this influencer and taking an OQTF to meet him.
“The intelligence services are studying these cases very closely”for its part declared the entourage of the Minister of the Interior.
Zazou Youssef and Imad Tintin joined “the war dominated in France by the Algerian regime” which mobilizes a number « important » of influencers calling for “violence”argued to AFP Chawki Benzehra, an Algerian opponent who took refuge in France after taking part in pro-democratic demonstrations against power in 2019. Chawki Benzehra said he filed a complaint on Friday in Lyon for threats made against him by Imad Tintin.
