Latest news with #AlgiersJudicialCouncil
El Chorouk
09-07-2025
- Politics
- El Chorouk
The French Unleash Their Former Ambassador to Attack Algeria
Xavier Driencourt, France's former ambassador to Algeria, has reappeared in right-leaning French media outlets. The retired diplomat made two appearances on consecutive days, which suggests that this 'giant' has been freed from the shackles he was believed to have been bound by during the undeclared truce unilaterally observed by Paris, in an attempt to win over Algerian authorities to release the Franco-Algerian writer, Boualem Sansal, who is serving a five-year prison sentence in Algeria. For many weeks, the retired diplomat, who worked in Algeria twice (2008 and 2012), and (2017 and 2020), had not made any media appearances. This 'disappearance' coincided with a remarkable calm in French political and media circles regarding their dealings with Algeria, including those with right-wing leanings. This leads one to believe that the man received signals from decision-makers about the necessity of staying out of the spotlight. Xavier Driencourt, in an interview with French radio station 'Europe 1' on Wednesday, July 9, reiterated his inflammatory statements against Algeria, calling on his country's authorities to adopt a 'iron fist' policy. These statements were expected from him, as his frequent media appearances have become synonymous with attacking Algeria. According to the author of the books 'The Algerian Enigma' and 'Double Blindness,' Algeria has succeeded in taming French arrogance, despite the threats issued by more than one official in the administration of French President Emmanuel Macron. Here, Xavier questioned the threat issued by French Prime Minister François Bayrou last February, when he said that his country was giving Algerian authorities six weeks to settle the issue of Algerians who had been ordered to be expelled from French territory. However, to date, after nearly five months, none of what Bayrou promised has materialized, while Boualem Sansal remains imprisoned. According to Driencourt, Algerian authorities derive their strength from the weakness of French authorities, reiterating the demand for taking certain measures that have proven to be ineffective in subjugating Algerian authorities, who act based on defending their sovereign rights, and according to the same logic that the French defend, which is the independence of justice. Before appearing as a guest on 'Europe 1' radio, Driencourt, who suddenly transformed into a theoretician for the far-right regarding Algerian-French relations, had previously appeared as a guest on 'Le Figaro Live' online, where he also attacked the silence of French authorities regarding the continued imprisonment of Boualem Sansal. The retired diplomat criticized French circles that are futilely trying to instill hope in the supporters of the Franco-Algerian writer that he will be released soon, each time. He pointed here to the initial clinging to the possibility of overturning the court's sentence at the level of the Algiers Judicial Council, but the decision upheld the sentence. Then, hope shifted to a presidential pardon on the occasion of the double anniversary of Independence and Youth Day. Now, there is talk these days about the possibility of a pardon for Sansal for health reasons, as he is ill. When that does not happen, attention will turn, as Driencourt said, to next November, and so on. Xavier Driencourt expressed his disappointment at the lack of European support for the French position on the Sansal case, noting that Noëlle Lenoir, the head of the so-called International Committee to Support Sansal, contacted European Union officials to rally support for her cause, but she heard from them statements such as Brussels awaiting concrete action from Paris before taking action, which he considered a negative stance. The current French position on the Sansal case resembles what Spain experienced more than two years ago, when the Madrid government rushed to appeal to the European Union for support against the economic sanctions imposed by Algeria on Spanish companies at the time. However, it did not receive any support. In fact, countries like Italy and Spain, both EU member states, exploited the situation and entered into an exceptional partnership with Algeria (in the case of Italy), making Rome the exclusive distributor of Algerian gas in Europe, after Madrid had spent billions of euros to prepare the infrastructure to play the same role.
El Chorouk
08-07-2025
- Politics
- El Chorouk
Former Minister Khemri And 90 Defendants Back In Court On July 15th
The Algiers Judicial Council, on Tuesday, postponed until July 15 the trial of former Youth Minister, Abdelkader Khemri, and 90 defendants, who are being prosecuted for corruption related to the youth sector, the National Publishing and Advertising Agency, and the National Youth Entertainment Agency, at the request of the defense team. The defendants will appear before the Tenth Criminal Chamber of the Algiers Judicial Council, facing serious charges ranging from the misdemeanor of deliberate abuse of office in violation of laws and regulations, granting unjustified privileges to others contrary to applicable legislative and regulatory provisions, the misdemeanor of deliberate embezzlement of public funds, illicit enrichment, in addition to money laundering and participation in the embezzlement of public funds, acts stipulated and punishable by the Law on the Prevention and Fight against Corruption, and the Penal Code. On June 4, the Economic and Financial Penal Pole Court in Sidi M'hamed had imposed the maximum penalties on the defendants prosecuted in the corruption case involving the National Publishing and Advertising Agency and the youth sector. The penalties handed down by the judge against the convicted defendants ranged from 8, 5, 4, and 3 years to 18 months of effective imprisonment and financial fines amounting to one million Algerian dinars, along with the confiscation of all seized assets. In detail, after confirming the charges against the defendants, the head of the pole read out the verdicts. Former Youth Minister Abdelkader Khemri was sentenced to 8 years of effective imprisonment and a fine of one million Algerian dinars, while the director of the National Youth Entertainment Agency 'ANALEJ', 'Kh.M.', received 5 years of effective imprisonment and a fine of one million Algerian dinars. The former director of the 'ANALEJ' agency, 'Z. Rachid', was also sentenced to 3 years of effective imprisonment and a fine of 1 million Algerian dinars, while the Director General of Youth at the Ministry of Youth and Sports received a sentence of 4 years of effective imprisonment and a fine of one million Algerian dinars. In contrast, the head of the Economic and Financial Pole imposed a sentence of two years of effective imprisonment and a fine of 500,000 dinars on both the CEO of the National Publishing and Advertising Agency, 'Boussnah. A', and the director of the publishing department at the same agency, 'L.L.', as well as the director of finance and accounting at the same agency. The sentences pronounced by the judge against the remaining defendants, including economic operators and employees of the 'ANALEJ' agency, ranged from 18 months of effective imprisonment to 5 years of effective imprisonment, and 20 defendants were acquitted. Furthermore, the Economic and Financial Pole Court ordered the convicted and detained defendants to pay varying amounts of compensation to the public treasury.
El Chorouk
01-07-2025
- Politics
- El Chorouk
Sansal's Conviction Breaks French 'Undeclared Truce'
The provocative and customary stances of the French authorities towards Algeria returned immediately after the decision issued by the Algiers Judicial Council on Tuesday regarding the Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, which, as is known, upheld the ruling of the Dar El Beida Primary Court, sentencing him to five years in prison and a fine of 500,000 dinars. The French authorities violated the undeclared truce with Algeria after the conviction of the Franco-Algerian writer was upheld, on charges related to undermining territorial integrity and insulting a regular body. They began to speak of an 'incomprehensible and unjustified' decision, a blatant interference in the Algerian judiciary and, consequently, in Algeria's internal affairs. The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs circulated a statement that could further fuel the fire, stating: 'France deplores the conviction of our citizen Boualem Sansal by the Court of Appeal to a severe prison sentence, upholding the primary court's ruling.' The statement considered the decision to be 'both incomprehensible and unjustified.' In an inconsistent tone, the statement in its second paragraph returned to an appeal, saying that 'France calls on the Algerian authorities to act with compassion and to formulate a swift, humane, and dignified solution for our citizen, taking into account his health condition and prioritizing humanitarian considerations,' expressing hope that he would be released for treatment. The first French official to comment on the Algerian judiciary's decision was Prime Minister François Bayrou, who was accompanied by Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau. It appears that Retailleau emerged from the Sansal case with strict directives from certain decision-making sources in Paris, to avoid any slip that might violate the undeclared truce with Algeria by the French side. However, in the opinion of observers, the damage had already been done after the French Foreign Ministry's statement. François Bayrou said that 'what Boualem Sansal is subjected to is an unbearable situation in the eyes of the French people and the French government… And now, after the verdict, we can imagine a pardon for him, especially given our citizen's health.' It is clear from these phrases that the French side initially escalates then resorts to appeal, which, in the opinion of observers, is inconsistent with the perspective of the Algerian authorities. As for Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, who was beside the Prime Minister answering a journalist's question from the French news channel 'LCI,' although he appeared smiling in a scene inappropriate for the nature of the situation, he refused to delve into the ongoing debate about the Algerian justice's decision regarding Boualem Sansal, for the time being, in what seemed like a veiled threat, confirming that the French side had not learned its lesson well. Bruno Retailleau was asked, as shown in a video from the news channel 'LCI' on the 'X' platform, if it was time to revive his well-known project of 'gradual response' to Algeria. The French Interior Minister replied by saying: 'The Prime Minister has expressed his position (on the Sansal case), and as for me, I will spare no effort from now until the end of the week to secure Boualem Sansal's release, as the Prime Minister has just stated.' The third French official who also delved into the issue of upholding the judicial ruling against the Franco-Algerian writer was the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, who had always maintained his calm and composure. However, the shock of the decision flustered him, leading him to declare: 'I would like to express my extreme anger at the conviction of Boualem Sansal, which is an incomprehensible and unjustified conviction.' Before pleading for compassion and forgiveness: 'The Algerian authorities must consider the case responsibly, humanely, and with respect, leading to the release of our citizen and enabling him to receive treatment, given his health condition and age.' In turn, Arnaud Benedetti, a member of the so-called Sansal Support Committee, accompanied the official discourse with his provocative statements, demanding 'a swift and unconditional release,' and kept a glimmer of hope, as he said, as long as Algerian presidents usually issue pardons during national holidays, referring to Independence Day, which falls on July 5th.
El Chorouk
29-06-2025
- Politics
- El Chorouk
Appeals Pour In From Paris Before The Verdict In Sansal's Case
French authorities are exercising great caution in dealing with the case of the Franco-Algerian writer, Boualem Sansal, to avoid any potential escalation just days before the judicial decision on appeal is pronounced. Paris has leaned towards de-escalation for weeks, and the Minister of Interior, Bruno Retailleau, has completely disappeared from involvement in the crisis with Algeria, unlike before. He has been replaced by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, with his diplomatic and calm remarks. Jean-Noël Barrot completely ignored the case of the Franco-Algerian writer, Boualem Sansal, during his appearance as a guest on the French news channel 'LCI' in what appears to be a calculated decision. This provoked the journalist who was interviewing him, as she directed a question to him about it, expressing her surprise that the French authorities had not addressed Sansal's case during its crucial days. The journalist embarrassed her country's foreign minister, saying: 'You addressed the issue of hostages in Iran, and the fleet breaking the siege on Gaza, but you did not utter a single word about the case of the writer Sansal, for whom the Public Prosecutor (at the Algiers Judicial Council) requested a ten-year prison sentence. Why this silence in the last hours?' Here, Jean-Noël Barrot responded in a language full of pleading and appeal: 'We look forward to a humanitarian gesture from the Algerian authorities towards the writer Sansal, taking into account his age and health condition, and we hope that this is what will happen,' this was said before the session for pronouncing the final decision at the Algiers Judicial Council, which is expected on Tuesday, July 1st. The French hope that the Algerian authorities will respond to the repeated appeals from French President Emmanuel Macron on more than one occasion, as well as from his foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot, before this dialogue. Meanwhile, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune had settled the matter when he affirmed on more than one occasion that the file is in the hands of justice, which is sovereign and independent. In contrast, the French Foreign Minister revealed that the Algerian authorities allowed Sansal's lawyer to travel to Algeria to attend the verdict session, saying: 'His lawyer has arrived in Algeria to attend the trial session next Tuesday, and I hope there will be a humanitarian gesture.' Although the Parisian Foreign Minister defended the innocence of the Franco-Algerian writer: 'We have always said that there is no justification for keeping our citizen in prison.' The French official did not mention the name of Sansal's lawyer who traveled to Algeria, nor whether it was the former French ambassador to Denmark, François Zimeray, knowing that the Algerian authorities had reservations about his travel to Algeria and did not grant him a visa for that purpose. Therefore, he did not attend the preliminary session at the Dar El Beida court in the capital, nor did he attend the appeal session at the Algiers Judicial Council. François Zimeray presents himself as being in charge of defending Boualem Sansal, despite the accused having dismissed all his lawyers and decided to defend himself alone, according to what the head of the Bar Association, Mohamed Baghdadi, said earlier. Nevertheless, the lawyer insists that he is part of Sansal's defense team, commissioned by Gallimard publishing house, while Algerian law stipulates that the defense must be commissioned by the accused's family. This is the justification that the Algerian authorities may have relied on in not granting a visa to the French lawyer, in addition to Zimeray's stances on the Palestinian issue, which Algeria considers a red line. Algerian-French relations are showing a remarkable tendency towards de-escalation after nearly a year of severe political and diplomatic crisis not witnessed by the two capitals since independence. Economic visits between the two countries have resumed, and here we refer to the visit of Rodolphe Saadé, owner of the largest French shipping company (CMA CGM), to Algeria, and his reception by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, after the cancellation of the first visit that was scheduled for the first week of last April.
El Chorouk
28-06-2025
- Politics
- El Chorouk
President Boumediene's Widow Combating Hate Speech in France
Anissa Boumediene, the widow of the late President Houari Boumediene, is being subjected to a racist smear campaign in France for expressing her position on the imprisonment of Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, who is accused of targeting Algeria's territorial integrity. This was stated in press releases made to a far-right platform. The widow of the late President Boumediene was asked if she supported those calling for the release of writer Boualem Sansal, including Yasmina Khadra. She expressed her categorical refusal to release him, responding firmly, 'No, not at all.' Although the media outlet that interviewed her, Africa Radio, is unknown, this statement sparked a fierce campaign against the former first lady of Algeria. Anissa Boumediene justified her firm stance by saying, 'For me, Boualem Sansal doesn't like Algeria.' She added, denouncingly, 'Boualem Sansal said that Tlemcen and other cities are not Algerian… For me, that's very serious,' before addressing her interviewer, 'Imagine if the people of Nice (a city in southeastern France) or the Corsicans (named after the island of Corsica) said they would have preferred to remain with the Italians rather than the French.' The former first lady's stance came less than a week before the Algiers Judicial Council issued its ruling in the appeals hearing in the case of the Franco-Algerian writer. This decision caused panic among those who supported and demanded Sansal's release in France. This is because the position of a figure working in the field of law (Anissa holds a law degree from the Sorbonne University in Paris), as well as being an icon in the Algerian society as the widow of a national president beloved by Algerians, the late Houari Boumediene, could impact the case of the imprisoned writer in the eyes of those who attack her. Therefore, these French circles quickly emerged from their dens, harshly criticising Anissa. What's striking is that those launching this attack claim to defend freedom of expression, led by the Goncourt Prize winner and fugitive from Algerian justice, Kamel Daoud, who posted on X, 'I was asked if I supported the release of Boualem Sansal. She replied: 'Absolutely not. She lives in France, the country where she enjoys freedom.' Kamel Daoud followed this with a series of tweets supporting the Franco-Algerian writer, one of which read: 'If you want to help yourself, defend your freedoms, believe without kneeling, dream without sleeping, listen without prejudice, and travel with the mere movement of your index finger across the page, read Sansal.' Despite the undeclared truce in the French media toward Algeria, hoping to de-escalate tensions and pave the way for a pardon for the Franco-Algerian writer, media outlets known for their right-wing leanings have not failed to target the widow of the late president, such as Le Journal du Dimanche and Valeurs Actuelles. The Journal du Dimanche headlined its article on Anissa Boumediene as follows: 'She lives in France and is free: Algeria's former first lady's opinion on Boualem Sansal sparks controversy.' In it, it paused on what Anissa Boumediene had said, writing: 'The former first lady of Algeria and lawyer does not call for the release of the writer Boualem Sansal, who has been detained in Algerian prisons since November. She believes that his dangerous statements threaten the country's unity and justify his fate'. Meanwhile, the other newspaper, Valeurs Actuelles, titled its provocative article against Anissa Boumediene: 'His statements are very serious: Algeria's former first lady does not want the release of Boualem Sansal.' The article commented: 'After several months without mentioning the case of Boualem Sansal, the Franco-Algerian writer imprisoned since November 2024 in Algeria, Anissa Boumediene confirmed that she does not want the release of the writer, whose case is a symbol of tensions between Paris and Algiers.' In contrast, Anissa Boumediene found her defender in France, represented by the locally elected Salim Djellab, of Algerian origins, who responded to Kamel Daoud in a tweet: 'Mentioning that Anissa Boumediene 'lives in France' amounts to publicly exposing her, while also insinuating a dissident who must be punished. However, under international law, each state is sovereign in the exercise of its justice. If Boualem Sansal was convicted under Algerian criminal law, one can appeal for a measure of clemency (presidential pardon), but certainly not challenge the jurisdiction of a third state.
