AA / Paris / Ümit Dönmez
Former MEP Karim Zéribi spoke on Thursday about the expulsion of four Algerian influencers accused of inciting violence.
On the CNEWS set, Zéribi criticized what he describes as a growing “anti-Algerian political-media climate” in France, deeming this situation “unbearable and irresponsible”.
The editorialist recalled that the majority of Algerians living in France, whether they are legal residents or dual nationals, “love France, work, respect the laws of the Republic” and actively contribute to society. He notably underlined that “15,000 Algerian doctors today serve health in France”.
For Karim Zéribi, the main thing lies in the fight against dangerous individuals without stigmatizing an entire community. “There are 5 million Algerians in France. Four is 0.0001%. Let’s lock up, imprison or expel these delinquent influencers, but let’s not generalize,” he insisted, denouncing a tendency to “essentialize” Algerians.
The editorialist also rejected recurring criticism of the 1968 bilateral agreements between France and Algeria, believing that they do not create disproportionate advantages for Algerians compared to other immigrant populations. “We have 11.5% Algerians among foreigners in France, and 10% Moroccans. The ’68 agreements are cinema,” he declared.
Finally, Karim Zéribi called for distinguishing diplomatic tensions between the two countries from relations between their respective populations. “These tensions are political, let’s not involve civil societies in this,” he concluded, denouncing attempts to “throw fuel on the fire” in an already tense context.
– Franco-Algerian tensions
As a reminder, the expulsion of Doualemn, a 59-year-old Algerian influencer arrested in Montpellier for “inciting violence” on TikTok, was refused by the Algerian authorities who sent him back to Paris. According to the French Ministry of the Interior, Algiers has not provided “any valid document” to justify this inadmissibility.
The French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, spoke on Friday of retaliatory measures if Algiers “continues the escalation”.
In an interview on LCI, he said he was “stunned” by Algeria’s refusal to take back the influencer Doualemn, expelled by France on Thursday but turned back upon his arrival.
Among the options discussed are a review of visa quotas, a reduction in development aid or adjustments in bilateral cooperation. “France will have no other option than to retaliate if this posture persists,” he declared.
This setback has revived the political debate in France, particularly on the bilateral agreements of 1968 which grant Algerian nationals specific advantages in terms of residence and employment.
This Friday, the French Minister of the Interior, Bruno Retailleau, strongly criticized the decision of the Algerian authorities to refuse entry into their territory of an influencer expelled by France. During a trip to Nantes, the tenant of Beauvau declared: “Algeria seeks to humiliate France”, describing this situation as an “extremely worrying threshold”.
In reaction to the French declarations, the Algerian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ahmed Attaf firmly denounced what he describes as a “disinformation campaign” led by certain political currents in France, notably the far right, against the Algeria.
In a press release, he accused these groups of seeking to exploit historical tensions and of fueling desires for intimidation and confrontation in Franco-Algerian relations. According to him, this attitude fuels an unjustified “standoff”, distancing the two countries from a peaceful dialogue.
He also criticized the expulsion of the Algerian national, described as “arbitrary and abusive”, stressing that this measure went against his fundamental rights.
According to Algerian Diplomacy, the latter, a resident of France for 36 years and father of two French children, was prevented from defending himself as part of his planned trial. The head of Algerian diplomacy indicated that this expulsion violated the Algerian-French Consular Convention of 1974 and reflected an attack on the principles of justice and equity.
– Reaction from the influencer’s lawyer
Lawyer Jean-Baptiste Mousset, defender of the influencer Boualem N., known under the pseudonym Doualemn, rejected the accusations against his client. He assured that the alleged facts, in particular comments translated as a call for murder or incitement to hatred, had been misinterpreted.
In a public statement, the lawyer clarified that the investigations carried out under the supervision of the Montpellier public prosecutor had concluded that there was no hateful content or intention to cause harm. According to him, these conclusions are based on translations carried out by sworn interpreters and specialists in the Arabic language, taking into account the linguistic nuances specific to Algeria.
“Any call for murder or anti-Semitic behavior has been completely ruled out by the procedure,” Mousset said, adding that his client’s initial post had been distorted. He also denounced “more or less official” translations carried out by unaccredited third parties, which would have amplified the controversy.
The lawyer stressed that the prosecutor had not requested either placement under judicial supervision or provisional incarceration. “It’s a fairly exceptional situation,” he noted, highlighting the confidence of the judicial authorities in his client’s willingness to fully collaborate with the justice system.
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