Algeria expels 12 French diplomats

Algeria has decided to expel 12 diplomats from the French Embassy in Paris. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot stated that the diplomats were given 48 hours to leave the country. The move is reportedly linked to the arrest of three Algerian nationals in France, including a consular staff member.

Minister Barrot urged Algerian authorities to reverse the decision, warning, "If this is enforced, we will have no choice but to respond in kind." Among the expelled are officials from the French Interior Ministry.

ARRESTS TRIGGER DIPLOMATIC CRISIS

Last Friday, three Algerians, including a consular officer, were formally charged in France. They are suspected of involvement in the April 2024 kidnapping of exiled Algerian influencer Amir Boukhors (known as "Amir DZ") in a Paris suburb.

Algeria criticized the legal move as an attempt to sabotage recent efforts to normalize bilateral relations. Boukhors, a government critic with over a million TikTok followers, has lived in France since 2016 and was granted political asylum in 2023. He was kidnapped in April 2024 and released a day later.

Algeria is demanding Boukhors' extradition for trial, citing fraud and terrorism charges and nine international arrest warrants issued against him.