An emoji posted on his Instagram account has just sent him behind bars. A 25-year-old man was sentenced Wednesday to twenty-four months in prison, including fourteen months, for threatening Gérald Darmanin on the social network, reports West France.
The publication is dated October 17. That day, the Minister of the Interior announced a strengthening of controls at the border with Belgium following the attack in Brussels, which left two dead the day before.
Knife emoji
It is in this context that the defendant posted a photo of Gérald Darmanin accompanied by an emoji representing a knife pointed at the minister’s neck. A few days earlier, the individual had already published a message on Instagram targeting France’s first cop.
While searching his home, the police discovered numerous documents linked to the terrorist organizations Al-Qaeda and Daesh. According to the court, the young man, whose criminal record already has fifteen entries, was radicalized in prison where he will therefore return.