Relations between France and Algeria have faced a new wave of tension following the French judiciary’s issuance of an international arrest warrant for a former Algerian diplomat. Salaheddine Selloum, a former first secretary at the Algerian embassy in Paris, is being investigated for his alleged involvement in the kidnapping of an Algerian YouTuber, Amir Boukhors (also known as “Amir DZ”).
According to a report by Le Monde, the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT) requested the warrant on July 23, citing “serious suspicions” about Selloum’s role in the “arrest, kidnapping, abduction, and arbitrary detention” of Boukhors. The YouTuber, a vocal critic of the Algerian regime, had been living in political refuge in France since April 2024. This judicial development, which involves an official representative of Algiers, could expose the involvement of senior Algerian officials in clandestine operations targeting dissidents abroad.
The arrest warrant comes just three days after French President Emmanuel Macron’s decision to end visa exemptions for Algerian officials traveling to France, further escalating an already tense diplomatic climate. The investigation into the kidnapping of Amir DZ, who is well-known on social media for his commentary on Algerian power circles, is now taking on a broader political dimension that is likely to further strain relations between Paris and Algiers.
MK/Sf/fss/abj/APA