Franco-Algerian Crisis Figure ‘Doualemn' Gets 5-Month Suspended Term
Doha – Algerian TikTok influencer Boualem Naman, known as 'Doualemn,' was sentenced to a five-month suspended prison term on Thursday by the Montpellier Criminal Court for 'public provocation to commit a crime.'
During a highly publicized hearing on February 24, the prosecution had requested a six-month suspended prison sentence, while his lawyer, Jean-Baptiste Mousset, had pleaded for acquittal.
The case has become a focal point in deteriorating diplomatic relations between France and Algeria.
The 59-year-old maintenance worker, who had 138,000 TikTok followers, was found guilty of calling for the 'severe correction' of an Algerian opposition figure in a video posted in early January.
'The call to commit violence is characterized by the use of a term which he explains to mean 'giving slaps or spankings' targeting an identifiable person,' the court president stated, stressing that 'these could not be humorous terms.'
The case took on diplomatic gravity when Algeria blundered by refusing to accept Doualemn after his deportation by French authorities.
After being placed on a flight to Algiers on January 9, Doualemn was immediately sent back to France, an action French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau described as Algeria 'seeking to humiliate France.'
The diplomatic tension escalated further when Algeria refused to accept a number of irregular migrants, including the perpetrator of a February 22 attack in Mulhouse.
These refusals have further inflamed already tense relations between the two countries, which plunged into deeper discord after France's recognition of Morocco's sovereignty over its Sahara in July 2024.
Doualemn's legal journey has been anything but straightforward. The Paris Administrative Court initially suspended his emergency expulsion order, deeming it unjustified.
The Melun Administrative Court subsequently annulled his obligation to leave French territory (OQTF), requiring authorities to restart the expulsion process with a proper hearing.
During his recent appearance before the Expulsion Commission (Comex) in Montpellier, Doualemn acknowledged his statements constituted a call to violence while downplaying their severity.
'I got carried away,' he said, adding that he was 'sincerely sorry.' His lawyer, Marie David-Bellouard, argued that the case was 'blown out of proportion to cover a political move by the Interior Minister.'
The Comex is expected to deliver its opinion on March 12 regarding the new expulsion request filed by the Hérault prefect. Doualemn's defense team has already announced their intention to appeal the criminal court's decision.
France-Algeria's deteriorating diplomacy
The case remains emblematic of broader tensions between France and Algeria.
In response to growing security concerns, Retailleau announced in early March the compilation of a list of 'several hundred Algerian nationals with dangerous profiles' for potential deportation.
Retailleau framed Algeria's response to France's deportation demands as 'the test of truth,' while accusing Algeria of disregarding international agreements, including the 1944 Chicago Convention and a 1994 bilateral accord.
France is also implementing a 'graduated response' at its borders. Retailleau confirmed that authorities have begun turning back some Algerian nationals at Roissy Airport, requiring diplomatic passport holders to present mission orders.
France, citing Algeria's lack of cooperation, also announced travel restrictions for certain Algerian dignitaries, a move that Algeria's Foreign Affairs Ministry denounced as 'part of a long list of provocations, intimidations, and threats.'
The ministry claimed it was 'surprised' by the decision, though French officials maintained that prior notifications had been sent.
On February 28, French President Emmanuel Macron attempted to ease tensions with Algeria over migration issues while calling for the resolution of another pressing matter –the case of detained Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal – who remains in custody in Algiers, despite having cancer. Tags: Algeria France RelationsDoualemn case
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