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Morocco World
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
Algerian Spy Ring Behind Amir DZ Kidnapping Exposed
Doha – France's anti-terrorism authorities have uncovered a complex Algerian intelligence operation on French soil. Four more suspects were indicted Friday in the kidnapping of Algerian opposition figure Amir Boukhors, known as Amir DZ. According to exclusive revelations by L'Express, French investigators have identified three Algerian spies who allegedly orchestrated the operation. The French magazine, citing two sources close to the case, reported that local criminals from Pontault-Combault were hired to execute the abduction. The opposition influencer was kidnapped on April 29, 2024, near his home in Val-de-Marne. A commando team posing as police officers intercepted him around 11:30 p.m. They transported him to a waste disposal site in Pontault-Combault where four additional accomplices were waiting. Boukhors was forcibly drugged with Zopiclone, a powerful sedative found later in his bloodstream. He woke up in a prefabricated building around 10 a.m. the next morning, guarded by two women who had been paid €1,000 each. An anti-terrorism French judge's investigation reveals a shocking conclusion. The kidnapping aimed to forcibly transfer the influencer to Algeria via Spain, where a 20-year prison sentence awaited him. This mirrors the attempted abduction of dissident Hichem Aboud on October 17, 2024, in Barcelona. Three-tier operation structure Investigators from France's DGSI (internal intelligence) and the Paris criminal brigade believe three types of actors participated in this extraordinary operation: Algerian officials, intermediaries, and hired muscle. The scheme was carefully structured to avoid direct links between Algerian authorities and the kidnappers. In addition to S.R., an Algerian consular agent already in custody, two Algerian diplomats played key roles. According to police, they are actually a non-commissioned officer and an officer of the DGDSE, Algeria's foreign intelligence services. S.S. worked at the Algerian embassy in Paris under diplomatic cover as first secretary. He is suspected of actively participating by surveilling Amir Boukhors multiple times. His phone pinged near the influencer's car when a tracking device was likely installed. The money trail provides damning evidence. On the night of April 29-30, S.S. withdrew €2,000 from an ATM in eastern Paris at 2:19 a.m.—exactly matching the amount promised to the two 'guards,' according to Boukhors' police statements. Telephone location data places the suspects at strategic locations. The two officials' phones pinged at the Créteil consulate, along with K.S.M. and S.L., two men with criminal records now indicted and imprisoned alongside the consular agent. Later that night, several suspects' phones registered near the Pontault-Combault waste site. Recruited criminals and escape Among the newly indicted men, at least one belongs to the Romani community of Pontault-Combault. Amir Boukhors formally identified him as the man who handcuffed him on the night of the abduction. These 'muscle men' reportedly acted not out of ideology but for substantial payment. Boukhors was eventually released in a forest during the night of April 30 to May 1. Hours after the influencer's release, S.R. boarded a flight from Orly to Algiers. When he returned to France in April 2025, investigators arrested him after noticing he had once again approached Boukhors' residence. Diplomatic espionage network The investigation has exposed a broader intelligence operation. H.B., deputy consul in Créteil, allegedly recruited and manipulated two French civil servants at the Ministry of Finance and the French Immigration Office (OFII) to obtain addresses of Algerian political refugees in France, including Amir Boukhors. The Finance Ministry official, previously awarded the internal security medal in 2017, was initially recruited through 'friendship' before being subjected to blackmail. This official then convinced a department head at OFII to collaborate with Algerian intelligence services. Legal actions and diplomatic crisis The French judge has qualified the operation as an 'association of terrorist criminals.' According to the investigating judge, the kidnapping aimed to send an intimidation message to all Algerian opposition figures. Attorney Eric Plouvier, representing Amir DZ, has requested an international arrest warrant against S.S. from the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office (PNAT). The two diplomats implicated as intelligence officers reportedly left France months ago. The arrests have intensified the diplomatic crisis between Paris and Algiers. Denying any involvement in Amir DZ's kidnapping, the Tebboune regime retaliated by expelling 12 French agents from Algeria. France applied the same measure in return. The crisis escalated further when Algeria demanded the immediate repatriation of fifteen additional French agents on Sunday, May 11. Ongoing investigation Several aspects of the case remain unresolved. At least four commando members have not yet been arrested. A source close to the case claims one of the 'muscle men' has previously been convicted of homicide. The investigation raises a troubling question: how high in the Algerian power structure was this 'terrorist' operation approved? In September 2024, General Rochdi Fethi Moussaoui, who was DGDSE station chief in Paris at the time of the events, was promoted to DGDSE director in Algiers by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. He has since maintained he 'was not aware' of the unprecedented aggression. This case lays bare the ruthless and brazen infiltration of Algerian intelligence services deep into French territory, sending shockwaves through diplomatic circles and exposing the regime's relentless pursuit of silencing critics at any cost. The shocking operation shows Algeria's desperate willingness to violate international law, sovereign borders, and diplomatic protocols in its vicious campaign to crush opposition voices, no matter where they seek refuge. This flagrant state-sponsored terrorism demonstrates the Algerian regime's paranoid obsession with eliminating dissent, weaponizing diplomatic missions as fronts for violent abductions, and trampling on France's national security with complete disregard for consequences—a stark warning that no political exile is beyond the reach of Algiers' vindictive grasp.
Russia Today
19-05-2025
- Business
- Russia Today
Musk hails Durov over rejection of French political censorship request
Elon Musk has voiced support for fellow tech entrepreneur Pavel Durov after the Telegram founder said he had rejected a request from the French government to block conservative political content on the messaging platform. Durov said Sunday that a Western European government had asked him to take down Romanian Telegram channels ahead of the country's presidential runoff. He declined, arguing that, 'you can't 'fight election interference' by interfering with elections.' Musk, the majority stake owner of the social media platform X, responded to Durov's remarks with a brief post: 'Hear, hear!' Following Durov's statement, French authorities acknowledged they were the subject of the claims but denied making any such request. In a follow-up post, Durov identified the official involved as Nicolas Lerner, director of France's domestic intelligence agency, the DGSI. The controversy came as Romanian voters headed to polling stations on Sunday. The Romanian Foreign Ministry accused Russia of interfering in the election, although it offered no supporting evidence. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova remarked that the Romanian process could hardly be described as an election, and urged Bucharest not to soil foreign nations with its mess. In 2024, Romania's Constitutional Court overturned the result of a presidential election after right-wing independent Calin Georgescu unexpectedly won the first round. Reports linked the pro-Georgescu social media campaign to a government-affiliated consultancy firm allegedly aiming to divide right-wing voters. The case was cited by US Vice President J.D. Vance in a February speech in Munich as an example of EU nations undermining democratic norms. On Sunday, pro-EU candidate Nicusor Dan defeated Euroskeptic George Simion in a runoff, securing the Romanian presidency by a single-digit margin.
El Chorouk
04-05-2025
- Politics
- El Chorouk
French Media Fabricates Scenarios to Justify Diplomatic Setback
After the relative decline in remarks by some Algeria-obsessed far-right figures in France, including politicians and media outlets, following the exchange of diplomats between Algeria and Paris, other, less extreme outlets are emerging, indicating a hidden war, implicitly holding Algeria responsible for the deterioration of bilateral relations. In this regard, the weekly L'Express published a report in its latest issue titled 'France-Algeria: The spy war,' in which it attempted to accuse Algeria of committing illegal acts on French soil by targeting dissidents. This attempt is intended to justify the crisis engulfing the two countries, which has profoundly impacted a large portion of the French political class, who views Algeria as a vital area of influence in North Africa and a gateway to the continent. The French media often contributes to fueling political and diplomatic tension with Algeria. This role was played in a repulsive manner before the rift occurred, through the incitement operation attributed to prominent far-right figures or those who advocated for far-right views and orientations, such as the former French ambassador to Algeria, Xavier Driencourt, who only retreated from the spotlight after contributing to the destruction of bilateral relations. In this file, replete with events that Algeria had previously disavowed, L'Express claimed to have documented some questionable incidents and, based on unidentified sources, attributed responsibility to the Algerian side. This comes at a time when many approaches point to the involvement of a third party, which aimed to undermine and destroy relations between Algeria and Paris. The magazine wanted to convey to the public that the Algerian consular official, who was arrested in a showy manner on a French street, was connected to the alleged incident involving a fugitive from Algerian justice who enjoys French protection. This was a desperate attempt to absolve French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau of responsibility for destroying the rapprochement that had just taken place between the two countries' presidents, Abdelmadjid Tebboune and his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron. Many observers in both countries agree that Bruno Retailleau, from his position as the senior official in charge of the French General Directorate of Internal Security (DGSI), orchestrated the kidnapping of the Algerian consular employee in Paris in a showy manner, outside diplomatic norms, bilateral agreements, and the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. Retailleau's goal was to undermine Macron's appeasement option and, in return, impose his approach to managing the crisis with Algeria. What is particularly repulsive about this situation is that he exploited relations with Algeria as an electoral card for his party's leadership race at 'The Republicans, LR' in anticipation of the French 2027 presidential elections. It is well known that this incident triggered a violent Algerian reaction, culminating in the decision to expel 12 consular officials working at the French Embassy in Algeria, an unprecedented incident in the history of bilateral relations. This decision was followed by a similar one, but was also followed by the recall of the French ambassador, Stéphane Romatet, who may have received the order with great relief, given his frequent visits to the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to convey the authorities' anger at his country's relentless provocations. There is no doubt that a crisis of this severity represents a setback for French diplomacy. Many analysts think that the scenarios being propagated by French media represent a desperate attempt to evade responsibility for the destruction of bilateral relations and place the blame squarely on Algeria.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Yahoo
France says prisons are targeted with gunfire and arson over a new anti-drug crackdown
PARIS (AP) — French officials on Tuesday said several prisons have been targeted in incidents including gunfire and arson in what they described as a response to renewed government efforts to fight drug trafficking. In the most recent incident, an automatic weapon was fired overnight at the prison in the southern port city of Toulon. No one was injured. In other places, cars have been set on fire outside prisons. Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin wrote on X that 'attempts have been made to intimidate staff in several prisons." He added that measures against drug trafficking 'will massively disrupt the criminal networks.' French anti-terror prosecutors said they will lead the probe into the incidents, without providing details on possible motives. They said domestic intelligence agency DGSI would be involved. Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said on X he has instructed authorities and police to step up security measures to protect prison staff and facilities. Prison staff union UFAP-UNSA Justice said some staff vehicles have been set on fire outside prisons in Villepinte and Nanterre, in the Paris region, and the southern towns of Aix-en-Provence and Valence. It said an attempted arson attack at a prison-related facility in Marseille was also reported. Wilfried Fonck, the union's national secretary, said on BFM television that 'we see it's something that is coordinated, organized and that seeks to terrorize prisons' staff.' French authorities in recent months decided to step up efforts against drug trafficking, with a focus on cocaine, which the interior minister has described as a 'tsunami' flooding the country. Demand for cocaine has reached an all-time high, with 1.1 million people in France using it at least once in 2023, Retailleau said. In all, 47 tons of cocaine were seized in 2024, more than double the previous year's total.
Associated Press
15-04-2025
- Associated Press
France says prisons are targeted with gunfire and arson over a new anti-drug crackdown
PARIS (AP) — French officials on Tuesday said several prisons have been targeted in incidents including gunfire and arson in what they described as a response to renewed government efforts to fight drug trafficking. In the most recent incident, an automatic weapon was fired overnight at the prison in the southern port city of Toulon. No one was injured. In other places, cars have been set on fire outside prisons. Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin wrote on X that 'attempts have been made to intimidate staff in several prisons.' He added that measures against drug trafficking 'will massively disrupt the criminal networks.' French anti-terror prosecutors said they will lead the probe into the incidents, without providing details on possible motives. They said domestic intelligence agency DGSI would be involved. Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said on X he has instructed authorities and police to step up security measures to protect prison staff and facilities. Prison staff union UFAP-UNSA Justice said some staff vehicles have been set on fire outside prisons in Villepinte and Nanterre, in the Paris region, and the southern towns of Aix-en-Provence and Valence. It said an attempted arson attack at a prison-related facility in Marseille was also reported. Wilfried Fonck, the union's national secretary, said on BFM television that 'we see it's something that is coordinated, organized and that seeks to terrorize prisons' staff.' French authorities in recent months decided to step up efforts against drug trafficking, with a focus on cocaine, which the interior minister has described as a 'tsunami' flooding the country. Demand for cocaine has reached an all-time high, with 1.1 million people in France using it at least once in 2023, Retailleau said. In all, 47 tons of cocaine were seized in 2024, more than double the previous year's total.
