Another TikToker allegedly calling for violence against France was arrested by French authorities as part of their move to step up action against Algerian social media personalities.
French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau announced Wednesday morning the arrest of Algerian influencer Rafik Meziane, who allegedly used TikTok to incite acts of violence on French territory.
The arrest comes amid growing diplomatic tensions between Paris and Algiers.
The minister thanked law enforcement for their “professionalism” and stressed a zero-tolerance approach, without specifying where the arrest took place.
The incident follows a series of arrests of Algerian social media influencers in France.
Earlier this month, another influencer, Mahdi B., was arrested and jailed, 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.
Doualemn’s case sparked particular controversy when Algerian authorities refused to take him in after French officials attempted to deport him on January 9.
He was then deported back to France that evening, with a judge extending his detention for 26 days on January 12.
“Algeria is seeking to humiliate France,” Retailleau said after the failed deportation. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot warned that France would have “no choice but to retaliate” if “the Algerians continue this escalation.”
The arrests come amid deteriorating Franco-Algerian relations, following Paris’ recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over the Western Sahara and the continued detention of Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal in Algeria since mid-November.
French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu criticised what he called “the current excesses of the Algerian government,” declaring on France Inter radio that “not liking France has become a matter of domestic politics” in Algeria.
The diplomatic crisis has prompted French officials to consider various measures, including a possible reduction
in visas granted to Algerian nationals, a reassessment of the 1968 Franco-Algerian agreement governing the rights of Algerian citizens in France, and a possible reduction 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 National Directorate for Foreigners.
MK/te/Sf/fss/as/APA