Why is Omar Bin Laden banned from entering France?

Jane Anderson
Jane Anderson
Why is Omar Bin Laden banned from entering France?

Omar Bin Laden, eldest son of the former leader of the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda, Bin Laden was expelled from French territory. He is also subject to a ban on returning to France for a period of two years.

So far, Omar Bin Laden lived in Orne in Normandy with his British partner. He made a habit of painting and organizing exhibitions to display his paintings. A passion that allowed him to “exist” and a place in which he felt at “peace”, as he was able to affirm in July 2023 to our colleagues from France 3: “Here, I feel very free. I feel freed from responsibility for my father’s actions, no one judges me, they respect me and leave me in peace”he declared.

“…remarks that constitute an apology for terrorism”

However Bruno Retailleau, Minister of the Interior announced this Tuesday October 8 on X that the eldest son of Osama Bin Laden was the subject of “an administrative ban on the territory”. According to the new minister, Omar bin Laden had “welcomed on its social networks in 2023 comments relating to the apology of terrorism”he says. Aged 43, the son of the former leader of the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda, killed in 2011, posted a message on his social networks for the occasion to the “glory” of his father. A message paying tribute to Osama bin Laden on the anniversary of his death. Posted online in May 2023, Omar Bin Laden has always denied being responsible for this message.

Expelled from French territory, he currently lives in Qatar. The one who lived in Normandy is now the subject ofa ban on returning to France for two years in addition to expulsion from French territory. Bruno Retailleau, the new Minister of the Interior also claims that the prefect of Orne had taken an OQTF against Omar Bin Laden. However, he did not announce the date of his departure.

Father Bin Laden…

Killed on May 2, 2011 in Abbottabad, Pakistan by American special forces, Osama bin Laden was the responsible for the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York. A deadly attack for which he has claimed responsibility on several occasions. Because of his dangerousness towards the West, the FBI places Osama bin Laden on its list of 10 most wanted criminalsfrom June 1999.

Also read: 20 years later: the world since September 11, 2001…