Statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs - French Ambassador 12/04/2025

Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lounes Magramane, received on Saturday,  at the ministry’s headquarters, French Ambassador to Algeria, Stephane Romatet, to convey Algeria’s strong protest following the decision of the French judicial authorities to place one of its consular agents currently serving on the French soil in pre-trial detention.

This meeting aimed to express Algeria’s strong protest following the decision by the French judicial authorities to charge and place in pre-trial detention one of its active consular agents on French soil, in connection with the opening of a judicial investigation into an alleged abduction of the thug Amir Boukhors, also known as AmirDZ, in 2024.

Algeria firmly rejects, both in form and in substance, the grounds cited by the French anti-terrorism prosecutor to justify its decision to place its consular agent in pre-trial detention.

“Algeria recalls that the consular agent was arrested in public street and placed in police custody without any diplomatic notification, in flagrant violation of the immunities and privileges attached to his functions at the Algerian Consulate in Creteil, as well as in disregard of established practice in such matters between Algeria and France,” according to the same source. 

Algeria particularly notes the weakness and inconsistency of the flimsy and fanciful argument presented by the French Ministry of the Interior’s security services during the interrogations, which supports this unacceptable judicial witch-hunt solely on the basis that the consular agent’s mobile phone allegedly pinged near the address of the individual Amir Boukhors.

Algeria calls for the immediate release of the consular agent held in pretrial detention and demands that the rights attached to his functions — under both international conventions and bilateral agreements — be scrupulously respected, to allow him to defend himself properly and under the most basic conditions.

This judicial shift, unprecedented in the annals of Algerian-French relations, is not coincidental and comes in a very specific context, aimed at derailing the process of reviving bilateral relations as agreed upon by the two Heads of State during their recent telephone conversation.

This unfortunate and ill-timed development proves that certain French parties do not share the same willingness to revitalize bilateral relations, and that the commitment on both sides does not reflect the good faith and sincerity necessary to create the conditions for a calm and normal resumption of bilateral ties.

We cannot help but be surprised by the cynical choice made by the saboteurs of bilateral normalization regarding the thug used as a lever for this new premeditated action. The clumsy eagerness to use this delinquent as a new emblem of the anti-Algerian rhetoric driving its instigators contrasts with the long-standing passivity in processing extradition requests issued by Algerian authorities against this subversive activist linked to terrorist organizations.

This unacceptable and indefensible new development will cause serious damage to Algerian-French relations and will not contribute to easing tensions. Algeria has no intention of letting this situation pass without consequences, and it will ensure the full and determined protection of its consular agent.