Osama bin Laden’s son ordered to leave France over terrorism allegations

French authorities have ordered Omar bin Laden, the son of slain Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, to exit the country due to posts he made on social media.

The announcement was made by France’s interior minister, Bruno Retailleau, on Tuesday.

Omar bin Laden, 43, was born in Saudi Arabia and has also lived in Sudan and Afghanistan. He distanced himself from his father at the age of 19 and settled in Normandy, France, in 2016, where he took up painting.

Retailleau revealed on X (formerly Twitter) that Omar bin Laden resided in the Orne department of Normandy as the spouse of a British national. The minister stated that in 2023, Omar bin Laden made comments on his social media accounts that “advocated terrorism,” prompting the prefect of Orne to issue an order for him to leave French territory.

“The courts have confirmed the legality of this decision taken in the interests of national security,” Retailleau added. He also mentioned that he had signed a ban preventing Omar bin Laden from returning to France for any reason.

Details about whether Omar bin Laden has already left France were not disclosed. His marriage to British woman Jane Felix-Browne, a grandmother and more than two decades his senior, attracted significant media attention when it was confirmed in 2007. After converting to Islam, she took the name Zaina Mohammed. Although Omar bin Laden sought to reside in the UK, British authorities rejected his request.

Osama bin Laden, who was killed by US special forces in Pakistan in 2011, was believed to have had around two dozen children, hailing from a wealthy Saudi construction family.

Retailleau has pledged to restore “order” in immigration and crime policies, asserting that “the rule of law is neither intangible nor sacred.”

His appointment reflects a rightward shift in the French government under new Prime Minister Michel Barnier following a hung parliament in the summer legislative elections.