France detains video blogger for inciting violence

French authorities detained an Algerian video blogger, Imad Ould Brahim—known as Imad Tintin— on January 5th, accusing him of urging followers to commit acts of violence, including murder and rape. According to AFP, Brahim, 31, was arrested near Grenoble and charged with “direct incitement of an act of terrorism.” While denying intent to promote violence, he contested the translation of his videos. His trial is set for March 5th, and he remains in custody to prevent witness tampering or escape.

The case comes as relations between Paris and Algiers sour, exacerbated by Emmanuel Macron’s renewed support for Morocco's claim over Western Sahara. Two other Algerians, also accused of inciting violence on social media, were recently detained in Brest and Montpellier. French authorities, wary of growing online extremism, have intensified efforts to monitor platforms like TikTok. A local prefect recently flagged multiple influencers for hate speech, highlighting a deepening challenge for law enforcement.