Islamist Tiktok star suspected of fraud in Germany
Published: Thursday, Oct 10th 2024, 16:50
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An Islamist influencer with hundreds of thousands of followers has been arrested in the German city of Düsseldorf. He solicited donations for children in need, for example - he is said to have kept the lion's share of the equivalent of around 330,000 Swiss francs collected for himself.
Only the equivalent of around 4,600 francs are said to have actually been forwarded by the 33-year-old in line with the appeals for donations. Under the name "Abdelhamid", he reached hundreds of thousands of followers as a preacher on Tiktok and Instagram. The security authorities see his videos as the start of a spiral of radicalization. According to the North Rhine-Westphalian Office for the Protection of the Constitution, the world view he spreads in a chummy manner is extremist and Salafist.
The man's 33-year-old partner and 37-year-old sister are said to have taken part in the fraud. They are also under investigation, the police and public prosecutor's office reported. The preacher already has a relevant criminal record. A judge has now remanded him in custody - due to the risk of escape and repetition. The 33-year-old has remained silent about the current accusations.
©Keystone/SDA
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