An online personality, Ilan M., known as ‘Amine Mojito’, has been sentenced to six months in prison for creating fake syringe attack videos to gain social media fame. The French man’s arrest came after a video was posted on TikTok just before the Fête de la Musique in June, causing public outrage.
In the video, Ilan pretended to inject people with an empty syringe and recorded their shocked reactions, titling the clip “Mojito le piqueur fou” (the mad stinger). This prank sparked outrage in France, especially as the country was already dealing with reports of needle attacks at events. Despite numerous reports of needle spiking during the music festival in June, very few actual cases were confirmed.
Prosecutors argued that Ilan, intentionally or not, contributed to the problem through his actions. He was ultimately sentenced to 12 months in prison, with six months suspended, for “violence with a weapon that did not result in incapacity for work”. Additionally, he was fined €1500 (£1,302) and prohibited from owning or carrying a weapon for three years.
During the court proceedings, Ilan expressed remorse, stating that he had not considered the potential harm his pranks could cause. His lawyer emphasized that the sentence provided a fair balance between public order and his client’s rights.
Despite pleas for leniency due to his time in pre-trial detention, social media users criticized the sentence as being too light. Many pointed out the danger of such videos being imitated with harmful substances, highlighting the fear and trauma experienced by those tricked in the fake attacks.