Omar Bin Laden, son of Al Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden, has been barred from returning to France where he had resided for years, painting landscapes in a Normandy village. The French Interior Minister, Bruno Retailleau, announced the ban after Omar allegedly posted social media comments glorifying terrorism.
Retailleau confirmed that the judiciary upheld a prior deportation order on national security grounds, preventing Bin Laden from returning to France for any reason. Details about the timing of the deportation or Omar’s current location were not disclosed. However, Pascal Martin, who assisted Omar in selling his paintings, mentioned that he is currently in Qatar.
“Mr. Bin Laden, 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 stated on X.
Martin described Omar as a man who opposed extremist ideology, earned a living from his artwork, and paid his taxes. “We became friends and I can tell you that nothing that is being said resembles the Omar I know,” Martin told Reuters.
French authorities took notice of Bin Laden after a social media post on the anniversary of his father’s birthday. Osama bin Laden, responsible for the September 11 attacks, was killed by U.S. forces in 2011. The specific content of the social media post could not be immediately verified by Reuters. Martin claimed Omar told friends his account had been hacked.
In July 2023, local weekly newspaper Le Publicateur Libre reported that police had searched for Bin Laden in the village of Domfort, Normandy. Omar could not be reached for comment regarding the ban and the allegations.
Omar Bin Laden has been living in France with his British wife for several years, focusing on his career as an artist. Despite his infamous lineage, he has publicly distanced himself from his father’s ideology. This recent development has cast a shadow over his peaceful life in Normandy, raising questions about his future and his ability to clear his name from the allegations.
