French authorities have ordered Omar bin Laden, the son of the late Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and a painter, to leave the country due to his posts inciting terrorism on social media, France’s interior minister announced on Tuesday, October 8.
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 pursued a career in painting.
Bruno Retailleau, France’s new interior minister, stated on X that Omar bin Laden had been residing in the Orne department of Normandy as the spouse of a British national. He noted that the son of Osama bin Laden “posted comments on his social networks in 2023 that advocated terrorism.”
In response, the prefect of Orne issued an order for him to leave French territory. Retailleau added that the courts have upheld the legality of this decision in the interest of national security.
The minister also announced that he had signed a ban preventing Omar bin Laden from returning to France for any reason.
His marriage to British woman Jane Felix-Browne, who converted to Islam and adopted the name Zaina Mohammed, attracted significant attention on social media when it was confirmed in 2007, especially given their age difference—she is over two decades his senior and had been divorced five times.
Omar bin Laden previously attempted to apply for a visa to live in the UK, but his request was denied by British authorities.
