Removal of an influencer, arrest of a diplomat, expelled at the French Embassy … why this renewed tensions with Algeria – Liberation

However, the sea seemed to calm down. But the indictment of three people, including an agent of the Algerian consulate, Friday in the investigation into the kidnapping of the Algerian influencer Amir Dz in the Paris region in the spring of 2024 revived the tensions between Paris and Algiers. This Monday, April 14, the Algerian authorities decided to expel twelve agents from the French Embassy. In the process, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, said that « If the decision to send back our agents was maintained, we will have no choice but to answer them immediately ». Liberty Dates back to the sources of this revival of diplomatic tensions, on the funds of a sprawling judicial file.

Amir Boukhors, known as « Amir Dz », 42, is an influencer of the Algerian diaspora and a fervent opponent of the Abdelmadjid Tebboune regime. He is notably at the origin of revelations on acts of corruption concerning the army. Aimed by seven Algerian arrest warrants, for reasons ranging from terrorism to the scam, he risks the death penalty in his country. This is the reason why France granted him political asylum in October 2023 and has always refused to extradite it. But, on April 29, 2024, Amir Dz was abducted near his home, in Val-de-Marne, by false police officers. He was released the following night without understanding who his kidnappers were.

A year later, relations between Algeria and France were considerably set out after Paris recognized, on July 31, 2024, Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara – a territory that Rabat and the separatists of the Polisario Front, supported by Algiers argue. Tensions are still climbing when The Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal was arrested in Algiers in mid-November, then when the influencer « Doualemn », expelled by Paris, was repressed by Algiers in early January. Mulhouse’s mortal attackat the end of February, perpetrated by an Algerian national under an obligation to leave French territory (OQTF), further complicates the situation.

While the investigation into the kidnapping of Amir Dz is oriented towards the track of a failed assassination attempt, Four people are finally placed in police custody After almost a year of investigation on April 8, 2025. At that time, Amir Dz’s lawyer, Me Eric Plouvier, already talks about Release,, « A delicate file, in an interlacing of diplomatic interests, national security interests and serious damage to French sovereignty with the alleged action of the Algerian authorities, seeking to neutralize opponents ». Friday April 11, the national anti -terrorist prosecution announces the opening of judicial information and the placement in police custody of three people For « Participation in an association of terrorist criminals with a view to preparing one or more crimes of people’s involvement » and for « Arrest, kidnapping, sequestration or arbitrary detention followed by liberation before the 7th day and in relation to a terrorist enterprise ». Among these three people indicted is an Algerian consular agent.

At that time, the French authorities still refuse to comment. Because for several weeks, Algiers and Paris had decided to play the card of appeasement. But the track followed by the investigators is that of an assassination contract potentially sponsored by a member of the consulate of Algeria. Who would have been « recruited » himself by an official of Bercy already suspected of espionage for the benefit of Algiers (and indicted in March). A social worker from the French Immigration and Integration Office (OFII) would also have provided information on opponents of the Algerian regime.

« The kidnapping is proven including by an individual who works in Créteil at the Consulate General of Algeria »commented the French Minister of the Interior on Sunday, Bruno Retailleau. On the other hand, he has been cautious about a possible interference from the Algerian authorities. « The link with the country is not proven », he said, while stressing that as « Sovereign country », « we mean that on French soil our rules are respected ».

This Monday, Algiers expressed his « Long live protest » :: « This new unacceptable and unspeakable development will cause great damage to Algerian-French relations », warns the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, promising « Do not leave this situation without consequences ». Algiers demands release « Immediate » of the consular agent arrested before announcing on Monday the expulsion of 12 agents of the French embassy in the Algerian capital.

In the evening, Algiers defended his decision « sovereign » And targeted Bruno Retailleau. In a statement, the Algerian Foreign Ministry confirmed that these 12 people had been declared persona non grata in response to the arrest in France of an Algerian consular agent, a « Unworthy act » who is « The consequence of the negative, distressing and constant attitude of the French Minister of the Interior vis-à-vis Algeria ».

The French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, denounces this « Response to the arrest of three Algerian nationals Suspected of serious facts on French national territory « : » I ask the Algerian authorities to renounce these expulsion measures unrelated to the current legal proceedings « claimed the French diplomacy chief in a written statement transmitted to journalists. Before adding that « If the decision to return our agents was maintained, we would have no choice but to answer them immediately ».

In view of « Deadline of 48 hours » fixed by Algeria, « We have no choice »: « There is no margin of negotiation. They will have to leave Algeria ”, estimates a former French diplomat joined by Liberty. « It is a not common but normal practice »estimates the same source, citing for example the expulsion of 47 Soviet diplomats and their families, decided in 1983 by François Mitterrand. However, such a decision remains unprecedented in diplomatic history between Paris and Algiers and could lead to an immediate response. This is in any case what the former French ambassador advocated in Washington, Gérard Araud, on X: “Algeria expels twelve agents from our embassy. We have to practice the exact reciprocity. It is the ba-ba of international relations: always making the slap received. Not one more, not one less. Likewise, comparable functions. « 

Update : At 9:58 p.m., with the addition of the remarks made by the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a press release.