An online personality known as ‘Amine Mojito’ has been sentenced to six months in prison for staging fake syringe attacks on unsuspecting individuals to gain online fame. Ilan M., the French man behind the disturbing prank, was arrested after posting the video on TikTok just before the Fête de la Musique (World Music Day) in June, causing widespread outrage.
During his court hearing, it was revealed that Mojito had pretended to inject people with an empty syringe and recorded their shocked reactions in a video titled “Mojito le piqueur fou” (the mad stinger). These pranks sparked public outcry in France, especially as the country was already on edge due to reports of needle attacks at various events. Despite numerous reports of needle spiking during the music festival in June, only a few concrete cases were confirmed.
Prosecutors argued that Mojito’s actions had inadvertently fueled the needle spiking trend with his pranks. Consequently, he was sentenced to 12 months in prison, with six months suspended, for committing “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.
Mojito admitted his wrongdoing in court, stating that he had naively copied similar pranks he had seen online without considering the potential harm. His lawyer emphasized that the sentence brought a sense of balance between public order and the rights of the accused. Despite pleas for leniency due to his time in pre-trial detention, social media users expressed outrage over what they perceived as a too-lenient sentence.
Many individuals online criticized the sentence, arguing that six months in jail was insufficient given the gravity of the situation. Concerns were raised about the potential for others to imitate such dangerous pranks with harmful substances, causing fear and distress among those targeted.
