Omar bin Laden, the son of Al Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden, was deported from France on Tuesday following accusations of glorifying terrorism on social media. Omar had been living in a village in Normandy for several years, where he pursued a career as a landscape painter. French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau confirmed that Omar bin Laden was banned from re-entering France after the comments he made in 2023 came to light.
Retailleau, in a post on social media platform X, stated that Omar’s remarks had praised terrorism, though he did not provide specifics on the comments or the exact date of his deportation. Authorities did not reveal Omar’s destination following his expulsion.
Omar bin Laden, who had resided in the Orne region with his British wife, reportedly attracted the attention of French authorities due to a social media post shared on his father’s birthday. The post, which remains undisclosed, allegedly celebrated the legacy of his father, Osama bin Laden, the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks, who was killed by U.S. forces in 2011.
Local French newspaper Le Publicateur Libre reported that French police had searched for Omar in Domfort, Normandy, back in July 2023, though details of the investigation were scarce.
Efforts to contact Omar bin Laden for comment were unsuccessful at the time of publication, and the controversial post has not yet been located by international news outlets. The ban, according to Retailleau, will permanently prevent Omar from reentering France
