A diplomatic dispute has erupted between Algeria and France following the indictment of an Algerian consular official by French prosecutors.
The official is suspected of involvement in the April 2024 abduction of Amir Boukhors, an Algerian influencer and government critic residing in a Paris suburb.
Algeria strongly objects to the indictment, claiming it is a deliberate attempt to sabotage recent efforts to improve bilateral relations.
They argue the arrest of their official, based on what they deem flimsy evidence, was conducted improperly, without diplomatic notification.
The case involves the abduction of Boukhors, who holds political asylum in France. Algiers, which seeks his extradition on fraud and terrorism charges, demands the immediate release of their consular official.
This incident further strains already delicate relations between the two nations. Previous tensions arose from France’s stance on Western Sahara and the imprisonment of a French-Algerian writer.
While recent high-level talks aimed to mend the rift, Algeria now sees France’s actions as a direct threat to this progress.
