France begins trials of two Algerian influencers accused of inciting violence

The trials of two Algerian social media influencers, accused of promoting violence in France and Algeria through TikTok, are set to begin on Monday, according to the New Arab.

One of the accused, Boualem Naman, known online as “Doualemn,” was extradited to Algeria but returned to Paris upon arrival, escalating tensions between the two nations. Naman is accused of urging his 168,000 TikTok followers to "severely punish" a man believed to be in Algeria, according to Montpellier's chief prosecutor, where the trial is taking place.

The second influencer, known online as “Zazou Youssef,” will appear in court in Brest. Prosecutors allege he posted videos in Arabic with French subtitles that encouraged terrorist acts in France and violence in Algeria against critics of Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.

These trials come shortly after an Algerian national carried out a stabbing attack in Mulhouse, France, killing one person and injuring several others. President Emmanuel Macron condemned the act as an "Islamist terrorist attack," revealing the suspect had been on a watch list and that French authorities had unsuccessfully attempted to deport him to Algeria at least ten times.

Since January, four Algerian influencers have been arrested in France for posting content that allegedly incites violence.