An Algerian influencer known as “Zazouyoucef” on social media has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for “direct provocation to an act of terrorism”, following comments he made on TikTok.
On February 24, the 25-year-old Algerian named as Youcef A received his sentence from a court in Brest, Brittany. His punishment included a 10-year ban on entering France, French news outlet Le Dauphine reported.
Originally, the prosecutor in Brest had requested a two-year jail term and a ban from French territory for five years.
“We cannot accept that individuals call for the most serious violence,” the magistrate said.
Youcef’s defence argued that his videos were merely provocative, lacking any genuine intent to cause harm.
The court rejected that, imposing a harsher sentence than the one sought by the prosecution. The judgment, the court said, was based on the gravity of the influencer’s statements, which were seen as having the potential to incite violence and acts of terrorism.
On January 3, the influencer had been arrested after calling for the shooting of opponents of the Algerian regime in France.
As Zazouyoucef, with a reported following of 400,000 people, he made death threats to those who wanted to demonstrate against the Algerian community at New Year celebrations in Paris.
“We are going to shoot you. You’re going to be raped. And you want to go out on January 1? Where? Shoot them, we have to make the powder talk, President Tebboune, they want chaos … Shoot them, even if he’s my brother, shoot him, they’re paid by France,” the influencer posted on his TikTok account.
“Those who go out in Paris, we will take care of them … They will be buried with the Jews,” he posted.
In another video, Zazouyoucef apparently made a throat-sliding gesture while declaring himself “at war” and, along with a group of individuals, allegedly called for shootings and sexual assaults on French soil.
In court, he claimed he did not call for attacks against the opposition but said his comments were aimed at the Algerian army, following calls to demonstrate against the Algerian Government on TikTok.
He said he feared a new civil war in Algeria.
“I’m not a terrorist. In my country, we hate terrorists because [they] killed my family,” he added, sobbing in his voice, Le Dauphine reported.
L’influenceur « zazouyoucef » de Brest, suivi par plus de 400k sur Tiktok appelle à commettre des attentats en France le 1er janvier. pic.twitter.com/4QpYNnWa79
— Damien Rieu (@DamienRieu) January 1, 2025
Also on February 24, another Algerian influencer stood trial in a French court.
Boualem Naman, an Algerian influencer known by the pseudonym “Doualemn” was tried for “provocation without effect to commit a crime or an offence”.
He also allegedly called for violence in France against the Algerian opposition.
The French prosecutor has requested a six-month suspended prison sentence, stressing that Naman he did not call for murder but did urge his followers to commit violences, adding he regretted his remarks, claiming he had “lost his temper”.
At the time of writing, the case was continuing.
On January 10, the influencer had made headlines when France attempted to deport him to Algeria for allegedly inciting hatred and violence, only for him to be returned immediately.
The incident was seen as an international humiliation for France.
