Ismail Snabi experienced an ordeal that he describes as real hell, which occurred on August 29, 2023. That day, during a jet-ski excursion with three of his relatives, their jet ski broke down, leaving them lost in Algerian waters.
While trying to return to the Saïdia marina, they find themselves caught in a tragic situation. Two of his friends, Bilal Kissi and Abdelali Mchiouer, were killed by shots from the Algerian coast guard. Mohamed Kissi manages to flee, but Ismail is arrested.
After a year behind bars in Algeria, he finally returns home, but the memory of this event remains etched in his memory. Back in his apartment in Clichy-sous-Bois, he constantly relives this experience which profoundly marked his life.
In the company of his friends, and after having had a pleasant time, they decided to return to Saïdia. However, night came quickly and a dense mist rose, destabilizing them. Although they still thought they were heading towards their starting point, they were actually venturing towards Algerian waters. “We were wrong”remembers Ismail in his testimony to The World. But on the open sea, no markers were visible to point them in the right direction.
Around 8 p.m., a boat suddenly emerged from the mist, heading straight towards them. On board were Algerian coast guards. Ismail, relieved to see someone, tried to ask for help in Arabic: “We come from Morocco, we got lost.” But their response was brutal: “Get the hell out!” Morocco is over there! “.
The four friends immediately turned around, but shots rang out shortly after. Panicked, Ismail jumped into the water, thinking his end was near. When he was picked up by the military, they tied him up and beat him violently, asking him absurd questions about a possible trip to Israel or his drinking. This was the start of another ordeal on board the boat.
While Ismail was being taken to Algeria, Bilal and Abdelali, his companions, were shot and killed. Mohammed managed to return to the Moroccan coast. It was only much later that Ismail learned of the tragedy that had struck his friends: a police officer in prison showed him a photo of Abdelali’s body, while Bilal’s corpse was only revealed to him after several weeks.
Incarcerated in Algeria, Ismail suffered numerous humiliations and tortures: beatings, absurd interrogations, and threats. The one who weighed 120 kilos lost 30 kilos in prison, his mental health gradually deteriorating. Sentenced to a year in prison and an exorbitant fine of 100,000 euros, he found himself forced to go into debt to buy his freedom. Upon his release in August 2024, he received a final veiled threat: “Don’t talk. Don’t forget you have family here.”
Today, Ismail is trying to rebuild his life, under the care of a psychiatrist and supported by his family. However, the memories of this period remain vivid. A complaint was filed by the victims’ families, marking a possible path to justice, although the outcome still seems uncertain.
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