An online personality known as ‘Amine Mojito’ has been sentenced to six months in prison for recording fake syringe attacks on innocent individuals in a bid to gain online fame. Ilan M., the French man behind the controversial prank, was arrested following the dissemination of the video on TikTok just before the Fête de la Musique in June, which sparked widespread indignation.
The 27-year-old appeared in court for simulating injections on people with an empty syringe and capturing their shocked reactions in a video titled “Mojito le piqueur fou” (the mad stinger). These pranks provoked fury in France, especially as the nation was already grappling with reports of needle attacks at various events during that period. Despite 145 reports of needle spiking at the June music festival, only a few verifiable cases were uncovered.
Prosecutors argued that Mojito, whether deliberately or inadvertently, fueled the trend through his actions. They sought a 15-month prison term with electronic monitoring, including five months suspended. Ultimately, he was handed a 12-month prison sentence, with six months suspended, for “violence with a weapon that did not result in incapacity for work” at the Paris Criminal Court.
In addition to the prison sentence, Mojito was fined €1500 (£1,302) and prohibited from possessing or carrying any weapon for three years. He admitted in court that he had naively replicated pranks he saw online in Spain and Portugal without considering the potential harm to others. His defense lawyer viewed the sentence as a means to restore equilibrium between public order and her client’s fundamental rights.
While Ilan M.’s legal team pleaded for leniency, highlighting his two months of pre-trial detention in solitary confinement for safety reasons, social media users expressed outrage at what they perceived as a lenient verdict. Concerns were raised about the dangerous precedent set by such pranks and the potential for copycat behavior with harmful consequences.
Some individuals expressed that a six-month sentence was insufficient given the disturbing nature of the prank and its potential repercussions on victims. The incident underscored the need for responsible behavior on social media platforms to prevent harmful imitations and protect public safety.