Algeria to expel 12 officials from French embassy

France said the move was in response to the indictment of three Algerians in Paris on Friday.

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Jean-Noël Barrot added that it was linked to the indictment of three Algerians in France on Friday, one of whom is a consular official.

They are accused of involvement in the abduction last year of Amir Boukhors, 41, an outspoken critic of Algeria's government with an audience of more than one million people online. He had reportedly been granted asylum in France in 2023.

Barrot urged Algeria to "abandon" the expulsions and said France was ready to "respond immediately" if they went ahead.

Never before have French authorities arrested an employee from the Algerian consulate, and the fallout has set back recent attempts to improve relations between the two countries.