French authorities have ordered Omar bin Laden, son of the deceased Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, to leave the country due to his social media activity, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau announced on Tuesday.
Omar bin Laden, 43, was born in Saudi Arabia and spent his early years there before living in Sudan and Afghanistan. He distanced himself from his father at the age of 19 and eventually relocated to Normandy, in northern France, in 2016. Since then, he has pursued a career in painting.
Retailleau revealed on X (formerly Twitter) that Omar bin Laden had been living in the Orne department of Normandy as the spouse of a British national. However, the French government took action after discovering that, in 2023, bin Laden made posts on social media that allegedly advocated terrorism.
Bin Laden’s presence in France had raised concerns due to his familial connections, but his recent online activity prompted authorities to take definitive steps to expel him from the country.
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