Lanre Idris Mustapha
French authorities have expelled Omar bin Laden, the son of former Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, due to his social media posts, France’s interior minister announced on Tuesday.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) by the Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, explained that Omar had been living in Orne, Normandy, as the spouse of a British national.
Retailleau said that Omar posted messages on social media in 2023 that promoted terrorism.
As a result, local authorities in Orne issued an order for his expulsion, a decision that the courts have confirmed as legal and necessary for national security. Retailleau also announced a permanent ban preventing Omar from re-entering France.
No further details were provided, and it is unclear if Omar has already left France.
Omar bin Laden, 43, was born in Saudi Arabia and has lived in Sudan, Afghanistan, and France. He left his father at 19 and moved to Normandy, northern France, in 2016, where he became a painter.
Omar bin Laden drew media attention in 2007 when he married British national Jane Felix-Browne, who was more than 20 years older than him and had been divorced five times. Omar later tried to live in the UK, but his request was denied by British authorities.
Osama bin Laden, who was the son of a wealthy Saudi construction magnate, is believed to have fathered around 20 children. He was killed by U.S. special forces in Pakistan in 2011.
Bruno Retailleau has committed to stricter immigration and crime policies, stating that “the rule of law is neither intangible nor sacred.”
His appointment as interior minister reflects a shift to the right in the French government under new Prime Minister Michel Barnier, following this summer’s legislative elections, which resulted in a hung parliament.
