- Omar bin Laden, the son of the late Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, has been banned from returning to France
- Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau confirmed deportation order due to alleged pro-terrorism comments
- Concerns raised after Bin Laden commemorated his father's birthday on social media
Omar, the son of Osama bin Laden the founder of Al Qaeda, has been prohibited from returning to France, where he spent years painting landscapes in a village in Normandy, due to alleged social media posts that appeared to praise terrorism.
Bruno Retailleau, the Interior Minister, stated that he signed an order to bar Omar Binladin from France following judicial confirmation of the legality of an earlier deportation order based on national security concerns.
Omar's posts on Osama's birthday draw scrutiny from French authorities
No details were given by Retailleau about when the deportation would happen or where Binladin had been relocated.
"Mr Binladin, who has lived in the Orne region for several years as the spouse of a British national, posted comments on his social networks in 2023 that glorified terrorism," Retailleau stated on X, formerly Twitter.
"The administrative ban ensures that Mr Binladin cannot return to France for any reason whatsoever."
Binladin reportedly attracted the attention of French authorities for a social media post made on the anniversary of his father's birthday, marking the memory of Osama bin Laden, who was killed by U.S. forces in 2011.
Police search for bin Ladin in Domfort, Normandy
A July 2023 report stated that police had searched for Binladin in the village of Domfort in Normandy.
Omar bin Laden, 43, was born in Saudi Arabia, where he spent his childhood. He has also lived in Sudan and Afghanistan. At the age of 19, he left his father and eventually moved to Normandy, northern France, in 2016, where he pursued painting.
Omar bin Laden's 2007 marriage to Jane Felix-Browne, a British grandmother who had been divorced five times and is more than 20 years older than him, garnered considerable media attention at the time.
Martin revealed bin Ladin claimed his social media account was hacked
Following their marriage, she adopted the Muslim name Zaina Mohammed. Omar bin Laden attempted to settle in the UK, but his application was denied by British authorities.
Pascal Martin, who assisted Binladin in selling his paintings said he made a living through his art and fulfilled his tax obligations. Martin mentioned that Binladin had communicated to his friends that his social media account was hacked.
"We became friends and I can tell you that nothing that is being said resembles the Omar I know," Martin stated.
Interpol reportedly arrests over 300 dreaded Black Axe cult members, others
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that about 300 people linked to Black Axe, a criminal network in West Africa, have been arrested by the international criminal police organisation.
An operation tagged Operation Jackall III led to this arrest, the seizure of some assets, and the dismantling of multiple criminal networks around the world.