This post was originally based on verification work carried out collaboratively by newsrooms in France and the UK through CrossCheck (French | English), a not-for-profit collaboration to combat disinformation online, and is republished as part of a partnership with Global Voices.

On March 22, Twitter user @AudreyPatriote posted a screenshot of an article written in Arabic. The article includes a photo of French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron. The Tweet reads: “Al-Qaeda has chosen its candidate and it is #Macron…”

The screenshot is from a February 27 article in the newspaper Al-Masra. This article focuses on Macron’s statements during a February visit to Algeria where he described colonization as a “crime against humanity.”

The article is titled: “One of the main candidates in the French presidential elections, in Algeria, described colonization as a ‘crime against humanity'”. The article focuses on the criticism Macron received for his statement from other French politicians.

Al-Masra is indeed affiliated with Al-Qaeda’s branch in the Arabian Peninsula. However, the content of this fact-based article in no way matches the Tweet’s claim that Al-Qaeda supports Macron’s bid for the French presidency.

You can read about other fabrications and the French elections here.