Osama bin Laden's son deported from France for 'glorifying terrorism' on social media

A son of Al Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden has been deported from France, where he lived for years painting landscapes in a Normandy village, and barred from returning after posting comments on social media deemed to have glorified terrorism.

Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said he had signed an order banning Omar bin Ladin from France, and that bin Ladin had previously been deported.

He gave no details about the timing of the deportation or where bin Ladin had been sent.

“Mr bin Ladin, who has lived in the Orne region for several years as the spouse of a British national, posted comments on his social networks in 2023 that glorified terrorism,” Retailleau said on X.

“The administrative ban ensures that Mr bin Ladin cannot return to France for any reason whatsoever.”

According to local weekly newspaper Le Publicateur Libre, bin Ladin caught the attention of French authorities over a social media post on the birthday of his father, who was killed by US forces in 2011.

The paper reported in July 2023 that police had searched for bin Ladin in the village of Domfort, Normandy.