French Imam Arrested for Glorifying Terrorism on TikTok, Faces Trial

The imam, prosecuted for glorifying terrorism, had in a first video published on September 9, mentioned the Charlie Hebdo caricatures and declared that "the faithful Muslims are ready to sacrifice themselves for the prophet". In a second one, he calls to "attack the non-believing Muslims, the non-believers" and to "send them to hell", reports Le Parisien.

On Friday, September 25, in memory of the day of the knife attack in front of the former premises of the satirical newspaper, he had congratulated the gesture of the author by stating: "This brave man is known in Pakistan and on all social networks. He is known all over Europe. This status is thanks to the prophet." These three videos led to his arrest.

During his hearing, the imam expressed his regret: "I made a mistake, it was to get attention," he confessed, before apologizing. "Terrorism is also committed through speech," the public prosecutor reminded him in substance. Imam Luqman Heider was remanded in custody, pending his trial scheduled for November 12. Already in an irregular situation, he faces up to five years in prison.

After his arrest, the leaders of the Quba mosque where the thirty-year-old was officiating did not remain silent: "Since the day we discovered the videos, he is no longer part of the mosque," said one of the main administrators of the mosque.