France expels 12 Algerian diplomats over Paris kidnapping scandal

France has expelled 12 Algerian diplomatic and consular officials and recalled its ambassador from Algiers, intensifying an already strained diplomatic row between the two countries. The move follows accusations by Paris that Algerian authorities are to blame for the worsening of bilateral ties.

The tensions center on the kidnapping of Amir Boukhors, a prominent Algerian activist and social media personality known online as Amir DZ. A vocal critic of Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Boukhors has lived in France since 2016 and was granted political asylum in 2023.

In April 2024, Boukhors was abducted outside his home in Val-de-Marne, near Paris. Speaking to France 2 television, he claimed that four men wearing police armbands kidnapped him, drugged him, and held him in a container for more than 24 hours. “I fell into a trap,” he said.

Three suspects have since been arrested and charged with kidnapping and arbitrary detention. French prosecutors revealed that one of the suspects worked at the Algerian consulate in Crteil, intensifying the diplomatic fallout.

Algeria has denied any official involvement, rejecting the claim that its consular staff were implicated. In retaliation, Algiers expelled 12 French diplomats, prompting Paris to respond in kind by ejecting an equal number of Algerian officials and recalling its envoy.

Franco-Algerian relations, long marked by historical tensions, have remained delicate. Relations further soured in 2023 after President Emmanuel Macron expressed support for Morocco’s claim over Western Sahara—at odds with Algeria’s stance.

Although French Foreign Minister Jean-Nol Barrot had recently suggested a thaw in relations, this incident has reignited hostilities.

Adding to the strain, Macron has called on Algeria to release celebrated author Boualem Sansal, 75, who was sentenced to five years in prison for allegedly “undermining the integrity” of the Algerian state.

Also Read: Watch: Major Solar storm could bring Aurora Borealis to New York, Kentucky

Tune In