(FILES) Saudi painter Omar bin Laden, the fourth-eldest son of former Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden, poses during an exhibition of some thirty of his artworks at the "Arielle Brocante", in Le Teilleul, western France, on July 1, 2022. - Saudi painter Omar Bin Laden, has been given an administrative ban from French territory by the authorities, who have obtained his departure, France's Minister of the Interior announced on October 8, 2024. (Photo by Jean-François MONIER / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY MENTION OF THE ARTIST UPON PUBLICATION - TO ILLUSTRATE THE EVENT AS SPECIFIED IN THE CAPTION
France has ordered Omar bin Laden, the son of former Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, to leave the country after authorities discovered social media posts advocating terrorism.
The 43-year-old, who had been living in Normandy since 2016, has also been banned from re-entering the country.
Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau announced the decision on Tuesday, citing national security concerns. “Omar bin Laden posted comments on his social networks in 2023 that advocated terrorism,” Retailleau stated on X (formerly Twitter).
As a result, the prefect of Orne issued an expulsion order. “The courts have confirmed the legality of this decision taken in the interests of national security,” Retailleau added, emphasizing that bin Laden would not be allowed back into France “for any reason whatsoever.”
Omar bin Laden, who had renounced his father’s radical ideology at the age of 19, has lived a largely quiet life as a painter. However, the recent social media activity triggered the expulsion order under France’s strict national security measures.
It remains unclear if bin Laden has already left the country. His marriage to British national Jane Felix-Browne, a woman over two decades his senior, attracted media attention in 2007. Despite seeking residence in the UK, his application was rejected by British authorities.
Osama bin Laden, the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks, was killed by U.S. forces in Pakistan in 2011. Omar bin Laden is one of the two dozen children the Al-Qaeda leader is believed to have fathered.
