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El Chorouk
30-06-2025
- Politics
- El Chorouk
Paris Has Learned Its Lesson Well From Algeria In The Sansal Case
A statement issued by the French Foreign Ministry regarding the sentence handed down to a French citizen who presented himself as a journalist and was sentenced to seven years in prison reveals a remarkable shift in Paris's position on Algerian judicial decisions, contrary to what happened in the case of the Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, which caused an uproar in French political and media circles after he was sentenced to five years in prison. Although the sentence was harsher than that handed down to Sansal, the French Foreign Ministry, in its statement issued on Monday, June 30, 2025, could only express its 'regret' over the 'harsh sentence' handed down by the Dar El Beida court in the capital on Sunday, June 29, 2025, against French citizen Christophe Gleize, who was immediately imprisoned. The French Foreign Ministry said in a statement reported by the French news agency France Presse that it had been 'closely monitoring the journalist's situation since his arrest in Algeria in May 2024' and had 'provided him with consular assistance and protection throughout his trial.' It also confirmed that 'all services remain available to assist him and are in regular contact with him, his family and his advisors.' The Quai d'Orsay added that 'a request for a visit permit was submitted as soon as the conviction was handed down,' based on the principle of consular assistance. It also affirmed France's commitment to 'freedom of the press throughout the world,' in a statement that was careful to exclude Algeria, so that it would not be interpreted by the Algerian authorities as an escalation motivated by doubts about the decisions of the Algerian justice system, which President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has affirmed on more than one occasion is independent. The Algerian judiciary accused the convicted French national of 'praising terrorism,' according to a statement by the French Foreign Ministry. Christoph Gleiz was arrested more than a year ago in the province of Tizi Ouzou while engaging in suspicious activities. The Algerian government attempted to portray the defendant as a journalist by announcing France's commitment to 'freedom of expression,' even though he did not disclose his professional identity when applying for a visa. It was noteworthy that the French Foreign Ministry did not call on the Algerian authorities to release the French citizen, in the context of the worsening crisis between the two countries, in order to avoid a new setback, at a time when bilateral relations are marked by an 'undeclared truce,' marked by visits by some French businessmen to Algeria, most notably that of Rodolphe Saada, owner of the major French shipping company CMA CGM, who was received by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. According to sources close to the French organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the case dates back to May last year, when the French citizen was arrested in the province of Tizi Ouzou on charges of engaging in activities related to terrorism. The organization warned its Algerian members not to make any statements about the Christophe Gleize case, in the hope of resolving it away from media hype and political debate. However, the failure of all these attempts, with the issuance of the conviction, prompted Reporters Without Borders to break its silence. Other sources familiar with the details of this case indicate that investigations have revealed communication between the imprisoned French citizen and individuals classified as terrorists in Algeria who work for a terrorist organization. What further complicated Christophe Glice's situation was that he entered the country on a tourist visa and not on a mission visa, which means that the defendant concealed the purpose of his visit to Algeria and attempted to deceive the relevant authorities. The unusual calm in the official French position on the Algerian judiciary's sentencing of Christophe Gliez to seven years in prison reveals that Paris has learned its lesson well from the Soussal case, namely that attempting to play the role of guardian or commander no longer works, but rather complicates the situation, especially since the French authorities are eagerly awaiting the final decision in the case of the Franco-Algerian writer on Tuesday, July 1, 2025.
El Chorouk
18-06-2025
- Politics
- El Chorouk
Paris seeks forgiveness from Polynesian residents for nuclear explosions
A report prepared by a French parliamentary committee, which has been unveiled, concluded that France must apologize to the residents of 'Polynesia' for the nuclear tests conducted by Paris in its atolls. This development increases pressure on the French authorities, who still refuse to respond to Algerian demands regarding the memory file. The report, circulated on Tuesday, June 17, spoke of the 'necessity' for France to apologize to the residents of Polynesia, a group of islands located in the far southeast Pacific Ocean, still under French control, because the French nuclear tests, which spanned three decades from 1966 to 1996, caused serious health and environmental problems for the region's residents. The report's authors stated that 'seeking forgiveness is not merely symbolic, nor is it a request for repentance,' emphasizing that 'this must be a sincere approach, and an essential step in the reconciliation process between French Polynesia and the state,' as written by the committee chairman, MP Didier Le Gac, and the rapporteur, MP Moerana Redon-Arbellot. The report also noted that dealing with this part of French history in a 'calm' manner is a 'sober act,' and Parliament must 'make this gesture on behalf of the nation.' The report also recommended establishing a committee of historians and researchers 'to conduct in-depth work focused on studying all archives related to France's nuclear testing policy in French Polynesia,' which aims to form 'the historical basis for shared memory,' noting that Paris had conducted at least 193 nuclear tests in Polynesia under the auspices of the Pacific Testing Center. Algeria and Polynesia share a history of French crimes. Algeria, in turn, was subjected to no less than 17 nuclear explosions in the south of the country (Reggane and Wadi Namous) between 1960 and 1966. These tests enabled France to acquire nuclear weapons, but in return, they left the lands contaminated with nuclear radiation and chemical waste, causing many incurable diseases that affected residents and animals due to radioactive pollution. The local social security agency in Polynesia estimated the cost of radiation-induced diseases at more than 1 billion euros and intends to pass a bill in this regard. Meanwhile, the issue of compensation for victims of the 30-year nuclear tests remains thorny, according to the French news agency, 'France Presse,' which indicated that local residents (Polynesians) are still awaiting official recognition of the diseases caused by the nuclear explosions. While the French parliamentary report acknowledges the serious health and environmental consequences for Polynesia and proposes a series of recommendations regarding victim care and compensation, and the recognition and remediation of environmental damage, Paris insists on not recognizing its responsibility for the tests it conducted in southern Algeria and even refuses to compensate victims based on what it called the 'Morin Law,' enacted in 2010, which has not been activated until now due to the bureaucratic and scientific obstacles set by this law, preventing Algerian victims from receiving compensation, so that not a single Algerian victim has been compensated to date, 15 full years after the issuance of this law. The issue of French nuclear explosions in southern Algeria is among the files that have contributed to the exacerbation of relations between Algeria and Paris, because French President Emmanuel Macron has not made any progress in this regard, despite its obvious dangers, while he has spoken of symbolic initiatives such as seeking forgiveness from the family of the activist who supported the Algerian revolution, Maurice Audin, and recognizing the French state's responsibility in the heinous assassination of Larbi Ben M'hidi and Ali Boumendjel. The French parliamentary initiative regarding nuclear explosions in the far southeast Pacific Ocean could bring the file of nuclear tests in southern Algeria back to the forefront, because Paris insists on a policy of moving forward. It still refuses to clean the areas where the explosions were carried out of radiation and nuclear waste, and also refuses to compensate Algerian victims of these explosions, despite the existence of a law that stipulates this.
