No end to diplomatic tensions between France & Algeria: French anti-terror prosecutors indict three individuals for abduction of Algerian dissident

It seems that there will be no end to diplomatic tensions between France and Algeria. Just as the two countries were trying to mend their months-long strained relations, following France’s clear-cut support to Morocco’s sovereignty over its Sahara, French anti-terror prosecutors have indicted three men in connection with the April 2024 kidnapping of Algerian dissident and influencer Amir Boukhors, judicial sources said Saturday. The indicted individuals include an employee at an Algerian consulate in France, who reportedly holds a service passport rather than a diplomatic one.

The three men were charged Friday in Paris with kidnapping and unlawful detention in relation to a terrorist organization, as well as participation in a criminal terrorist conspiracy, according to the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT). All three have been placed in pre-trial detention.

Amir Boukhors, a well-known critic of the Algerian regime, had previously survived two serious attacks — one in 2022 and another on the evening of April 29, 2024, according to his lawyer, Eric Plouvier. The kidnapping, which initially fell under the jurisdiction of the Créteil prosecutor’s office, was later taken over by PNAT in February 2025, indicated the French news agency AFP.

“This shift to an anti-terror investigation shows that a foreign power, Algeria, did not hesitate to carry out violent acts on French soil — acts of intimidation and terror that threaten lives,” Plouvier who called the case a “state affair” was quoted by AFP as saying.

Boukhors’ name had surfaced in a separate probe by the Paris prosecutor’s office. In that case, a French Economy Ministry employee was indicted in December for allegedly providing classified information about Algerian dissidents — including Boukhors — to an Algerian national working at the Algerian consulate in Créteil.

Boukhors, known online as “Amir DZ,” is a 41-year-old Algerian influencer and government critic who was granted political asylum in France in 2023. He has a large number of followers on YouTube and TikTok for his sharp criticism of Algeria’s leadership.

And of course, as expected, Algeria hurried to protest the decision of the French judicial authorities. The protest was made during a meeting on Saturday between the Secretary-General of the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the French Ambassador to Algeria, Stéphane Romatet.

In a statement, the Algerian Foreign Ministry expressed its rejection of the reasons presented by the French anti-terrorism public prosecutor’s office to justify the decision to place a consular employee in pretrial detention.

The statement speaks of “a blatant violation of the immunity and privileges linked to the employee’s role at the Algerian consulate in Créteil, as well as of the established practices in such matters between Algeria and France,” and emphasizes “the fragility and weakness of the arguments presented by the French Interior Ministry’s security services during the investigation.”

Algeria, which described the incident as “an unprecedented judicial turning point in the history of Algerian-French relations,” demanded the immediate release of the consular employee and called for full respect for the rights associated with his function.

For Algeria, “this new, unacceptable, and unjustified development is likely to cause serious harm to Algerian-French relations and will not contribute to easing tensions,” outlined the statement, adding that “Algeria intends not to let this matter go without consequences.”