Latest news with #ParisBookFestival
Asharq Al-Awsat
13-04-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Three Algerians Charged in Kidnapping of Opposition Figure in France
Three men, including an employee at the Algerian consulate in France, were indicted in Paris on suspicion of involvement in the April 2024 kidnapping of Amir Boukhors, an opponent of the Algerian regime, judicial sources told AFP on Saturday. The three men were charged Friday in Paris with kidnapping and unlawful detention in relation to a terrorist organization, as well as participation in a criminal terrorist conspiracy, according to the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office (PNAT). Later, a French judge ruled that all three be placed in pre-trial detention. One of the suspects works for an Algerian consulate in France. While he holds a service passport rather than a diplomatic one, the issue of diplomatic immunity is expected to be addressed during the proceedings, a source close to the case told AFP. Boukhors, a well-known critic of the Algerian regime, had previously survived two serious attacks — one in 2022 and another on the evening of April 29, 2024, according to his lawyer, Eric Plouvier. The kidnapping, which initially fell under the jurisdiction of the Créteil prosecutor's office, was later taken over by PNAT in February 2025. 'This shift to an anti-terror investigation shows that a foreign power, Algeria, did not hesitate to carry out violent acts on French soil — acts of intimidation and terror that threaten lives,' Plouvier said, calling the case a 'state affair.' Neither of the suspects' attorneys responded to AFP requests for comment. Boukhors' name also surfaced in a separate probe by the Paris prosecutor's office. In that case, a French Economy Ministry employee was indicted in December for allegedly providing confidential information about Algerian dissidents — including Boukhors — to an Algerian national working at the Algerian consulate in Créteil. According to sources, some of the individuals targeted in that investigation later became victims of violence, death threats, or abduction attempts. The latest developments between the two countries coincided with the statements of French President Emmanuel Macron, who said last Friday he is 'confident' on the release of French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, sentenced to five years in prison in Algeria. Sansal's case is under 'special attention' by Algerian authorities, Macron commented during a visit to the Paris Book Festival, adding that the evolution of the case makes him confident that the writer would soon be released. 'I am confident because I know that there is particular attention. I am simply waiting for the results,' Macron said. He added, 'Our strongest wish is for the Algerian authorities to make the decision that will allow him to regain his freedom, receive treatment, and return to writing.' Observers believe that the decision to charge the three Algerian men in France would disrupt the fresh efforts to revive bilateral relations between Paris and Algiers, particularly following the March 31 phone call between Macron and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, who voiced their willingness to repair relations and after French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said last week that ties with Algeria were back to normal.
Morocco World
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
Macron Confident of Boualem Sansal's Imminent Release Amid Efforts to Ease Algeria-France Tensions
Rabat – French President Emmanuel Macron expressed optimism today over the anticipated release of French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, who is serving a five-year prison sentence in Algeria. Sansal's case is under 'special attention' by Algerian authorities, Macron commended during a visit to the Paris Book Festival, adding that the evolution of the case makes him confident that the writer would soon be released. 'I am confident because I know that there is particular attention. I am simply waiting for the results,' Macron said. He further noted, 'Our strongest wish is for the Algerian authorities to make the decision that will allow him to regain his freedom, receive treatment, and return to writing.' Macron made the remarks following a visit to the Morocco stand, this year's guest of honor at the festival. Sansal, who was sentenced on March 27 for 'undermining the integrity of the territory,' has been incarcerated since mid-November 2024. His politically motivated arrest and sentencing have been described as punishment for comments he made to the far-right French outlet Frontières. Sansal had suggested in the interview that Algeria had inherited territories from Morocco during French colonization. He has appealed the court's sentence, considering his case as unduly politicized and inadequately tried. Tensions between Algeria and France have been fraught since July 2024, when Macron voiced his support for Morocco's autonomy plan for Western Sahara. Read also: French Committee Urges Protest Over Boualem Sansal's 10-Year Sentence Algeria supports the Polisario Front, a separatist group claiming independence in the Western Sahara region in southern Morocco. The arrest of Sansal added to the Algiers-Paris strain, as did Algeria's refusal, early in 2025, to accept Algerian influencers deported from France. In January, French President Emmanuel Macron ballistically criticized Algeria for imprisoning Sansal, denouncing the move as a 'disgrace.' Speaking before French ambassadors at the Élysée, Macron accused the Algerian authorities of denying the gravely ill author access to medical care. 'Algeria dishonors itself by preventing a gravely ill man from receiving proper care,' Macron stated. But recent efforts have aimed at easing the friction, including a phone call on March 31 between Macron and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, which marked the beginning of renewed diplomatic dialogue. Still, it remains to be seen when and whether Algeria will indeed release Sansal in the coming days as part of ongoing efforts to ease tensions with France. Tags: Boualem Sansalfrance algeria tensionsfrance sansalhuman rightsMacron
Morocco World
11-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Morocco World
Macron Visits Moroccan Pavilion at Paris Book Festival Recognizing Morocco as Guest of Honor
Rabat – French President Emmanuel Macron visited the Moroccan Pavilion at the Paris Book Festival on Thursday, where Morocco is taking the spotlight this year as the Guest of Honor. He was welcomed by Morocco's Minister of Culture, Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid; Morocco's Ambassador to France, Samira Sitail; and Latifa Moftaqir, Commissioner of the Pavilion and Director of Morocco's Archives. In front of President Macron, the French and Moroccan national anthems were performed by Moroccan singer Nabyla Maan. Macron toured the pavilion's different sections, including an exhibition of maps and documents from Morocco's national archives, a presentation by the Mohammed VI Foundation for Environmental Protection chaired by Princess Lalla Hasnaa, and a space dedicated to Moroccan publishers, showcasing a broad range of works on Moroccan literature and culture. He also visited the pavilion's children's section. Minister Bensaid stood on Thursday evening under the glass roof of the Grand Palais in Paris to inaugurate the Moroccan Pavilion at the 2025 Paris Book Festival. Standing before an audience of writers, diplomats, publishers, and artists, Bensaid opened the book festival with confidence. Morocco steps into this edition of the festival as Guest of Honor, a role Bensaid described with 'emotion' and 'pride.' But his words moved beyond ceremony. 'This is more than a cultural courtesy,' he said. 'It's a sign of friendship between our two countries, one that renews itself through generations.' The crowd, marked by shared history and mutual curiosity, listened as Bensaid spoke of the ties that stretch across the Mediterranean. For him, language and memory act not as borders but as bridges. 'We share our differences,' he said, 'and through them, we speak the same desire for dialogue.' This year's festival theme, 'the sea', matched Morocco's spirit. Bensaid described the Mediterranean as a space of origin and the Atlantic as a path toward new futures. 'Both seas belong to us,' he said. 'They carry our memory and our ambition. And from them, we can shape a future we share.' He also offered a sharp reflection on Morocco's cultural strategy, saying the country has made a deliberate choice to place culture at the center of its national journey – Not oil, capital or algorithms. 'It's not machines that shape us,' he said. 'It's stories. And at the heart of it all, there are books.' His speech paid tribute to the quiet labor behind literature, publishers, editors, booksellers, translators, those who, in his words, 'make this daily miracle possible.' He called for books to step outside their traditional spaces and into public life, policymaking, education, and even diplomacy. The French Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati, took the stage in response. Her tone mirrored Bensaid's warmth. She called Morocco 'dear to us' and pointed to a relationship built on 'deep and enduring ties.' Dati also underlined a shift in the festival's purpose. No longer just a book fair, it now stands as a cultural celebration, open, lively, and younger in spirit. 'In uncertain times,' she said, 'literature helps us understand before we judge. It draws us closer instead of pulling us apart.' Vincent Montagne, president of the French Publishers Association and head of the festival, reminded the audience in his remarks of Morocco's weight in the Francophone literary world. From Tahar Ben Jelloun to Leila Slimani, Fouad Laroui to Abdellatif Laâbi, Morocco's literary presence extends far beyond its borders. 'It is a pillar of Francophone literature,' he said. Festival director Pierre-Yves Bérenguer described the collaboration with Morocco as 'rich and dynamic.' This year's programming, he said, reflects the depth of Moroccan writing, from novels and poetry to essays and children's books. Books lined the walls. But more than books, the air carried a sense of possibility, of stories yet to be told, across languages and shores. Rabat is also preparing for its own literary celebration. From April 18 to 27, the city will host the 30th edition of the International Book and Publishing Fair (SIEL), bringing together authors, publishers, and intellectuals from around the world. This year's fair will feature 775 exhibitors from 51 countries, each contributing to a collective passion for books, thought, and creative exchange.
Ya Biladi
10-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Ya Biladi
Morocco and France strengthen cultural ties : Ministers meet in Paris ahead of Book Festival
On Wednesday evening in Paris, Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, the Minister of Youth, Culture, and Communication, met with his French counterpart, Rachida Dati, to discuss ways to strengthen cultural cooperation between the two countries. The meeting, held at the headquarters of the French Ministry of Culture and attended by Morocco's ambassador to Paris, Samira Sitail, aimed to explore avenues for enhancing cooperation between Morocco and France following the signing of several bilateral agreements. The two ministers also reviewed the progress of joint projects, emphasizing the importance of accelerating them in light of the positive momentum in Moroccan-French relations, driven by the renewed strategic partnership between King Mohammed VI and French President Emmanuel Macron. The meeting took place on the sidelines of a reception hosted at the French Ministry of Culture's salons in honor of Morocco, the guest of honor at the Paris Book Festival (April 11-13).
Morocco World
10-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Morocco World
French Minister: Paris Festival Tribute to Morocco Reflects Vibrancy of Moroccan Literature
French Minister of Culture Rachida Dati has said that the Paris Book Festival's tribute to Morocco reflects the vibrancy of the Moroccan literary and publishing scene. 'As of tomorrow, we will be celebrating the strength and above all, the vibrancy of Morocco's literary and publishing scene,' Dati said on Wednesday. The French minister made her remarks on a recent occasion held in honor of Morocco. Morocco's Ambassador to France Samira Sitail and Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, Morocco's Minister of Culture, also attended the reception at the French Ministry of Culture, which gathered key cultural figures from the two countries. 'This evening's reception is, of course, a symbol of the cultural friendship that binds France and the Kingdom of Morocco,' Dati said, extending an invitation to all people across cultural sectors and generations who 'bring to light the cultural relationship' between France and Morocco. 'You are the everyday actors of this extraordinary creative vitality that energizes Morocco and of the thirst for culture that unites our countries,' she added. France's Culture Minister also commended Morocco's commitment to the cultural sector, noting the unwavering support of King Mohammed VI for cultural issues. She additionally emphasized the need to nurture and sustain bilateral ties between the two countries, recalling Emmanuel Macron's visit to Morocco in October 2024. 'This commitment has been framed as an exceptional partnership,' Dati said, noting that this exceptional nature has been greatly reinforced by both countries' willingness to open a whole new chapter in their diplomatic relations. Dati also expressed pride in her Moroccan roots, describing immigration as an 'extraordinary opportunity for France' and Morocco. The minister concluded her remarks by launching the Mediterranean Season, scheduled to be hosted in May next year by the Institut Français (French Institute) establishments across Morocco, calling on Moroccan cultural actors to participate actively. 'Morocco will be one of the major partner countries,' helping shape the event, she said. Tags: Morocco and FranceParis Book Festival
