Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune decided today, Wednesday, to summon his country's ambassador to France for consultations, in protest against what he considered a "violation of Algerian sovereignty" after the participation of French diplomats in the "secret smuggling" of an activist wanted by the local judiciary.
Yesterday, Tuesday, Algerian and French media said that opposition activist and journalist Amira Bouraoui - who is under judicial control in Algeria - arrived in France via Tunisia after entering it illegally.
"The President of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, ordered the immediate summoning of Algeria's ambassador to France, Saeed Moussa, for consultations," said a statement by the Algerian presidency.
The statement stated that the decision came against the backdrop of the participation of French diplomats, consulars and security men in illegally smuggling Algerian citizen Amira Bouraoui, while she is supposed to be in Algeria based on judicial orders.
Unacceptable
For its part, the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that it had sent a protest note to the French embassy in Algeria regarding what it considered "a violation of the country's sovereignty with the participation of French officials in smuggling an Algerian citizen."
The Foreign Ministry's statement described the incident as "unacceptable, which damaged relations between the two countries."
So far, there has been no comment from the French authorities regarding the incident or the Algerian reaction.
I will return soon
But Amira Bouraoui commented on the matter in a post on Facebook, in which she said, "I did not go into exile. I am in my country here, and I will return very soon to Algeria."
Amira Bouraoui was imprisoned in 2020 on numerous charges, then released on July 2, 2020, and faces a two-year prison sentence for "insulting Islam."