France arrests three pro-Algerian regime influencers

French authorities arrested three Algerian influencers on social media who threatened to use violence against Algerian regime’s opponents in France.

The arrest signals that France will take seriously the calls for violence emanating from figures with ties to the Algerian regime, which has mobilized many influencers to smear and attack opposition figures.

A spate of hate speech and calls for terrorist attacks against peaceful Algerian dissidents in exile, notably in France, surged on the back of a new campaign in social media denouncing the deterioration of living conditions and the crackdown on public liberties in the oil and gas-rich country.

An individual living in France under temporary residence permit, known on Tiktok as Zazou Youssef, was held in custody on charges of terrorism after he vowed to kill regime opponents.

Zazou Youssef who has 400,000 followers on Tiktok was arrested in Brest after issuing assassination and rape threats against Algerian peaceful opposition figures.

TikTok told AFP the account from which the video was posted had been banned for posting several videos that broke its rules on hate speech.

Algerian opposition figures in France have for long alerted French authorities to the serious threats posed by pro-Algerian military regime influencers, who have indulged in disinformation campaigns, regime sugarcoating and attacks on dissidents abroad.

Journalist in exile Abdou Semmar, who was sentenced to death by the regime, warned that the Algerian government was spending lavishly on an army of influencers on social media to sugarcoat its image.