Spain’s highest criminal court has refused an Algerian request to extradite former senator Abdelkader Djedia, ruling that the politician faces political persecution and insufficient guarantees for his safety if returned, according to court documents and rights-focused organizations.
The Audiencia Nacional, which has examined the case since November 2025, issued its decision on January 27 after reviewing Algeria’s request.
Judges found that Djedia’s actions amounted to protected parliamentary activity and ruled that extradition would expose him to risks related to personal liberty and physical security.
Djedia, a former legislator from the southern region of Ouargla, left Algeria clandestinely in 2023 by sea after his parliamentary immunity was lifted and he was placed under a national travel-ban order.
He was later sentenced in absentia on February 5, 2024, to three years in prison.
Spain’s decision adds to several recent refusals by European courts to transfer Algerian political opponents or activists. In 2025, courts in France declined two extradition requests involving individuals facing terrorism-related or corruption charges, citing risks of unfair trials, mistreatment or violations of fundamental rights.
Rights groups and legal advocates say European courts have increasingly scrutinised Algeria’s use of broad national-security provisions in cases involving critics, journalists and members of opposition movements.
