French civil servant accused of espionage for Algeria

Thursday 13 March 2025 - 16:30

By: Dakir Madiha

French civil servant accused of espionage for Algeria

A civil servant from the Ministry of Economy has been placed under judicial scrutiny in Paris, suspected of leaking information regarding opponents of the Algerian government residing in France, allegedly with the assistance of a social worker from the French Office for Immigration and Integration (Ofii).

The circumstances surrounding this high-stakes case have raised questions: Is the official a victim of manipulation or a genuine spy? Investigations have been initiated to uncover the truth behind this individual, who was officially charged in December and has since been under judicial control. According to the Paris public prosecutor’s office, the suspect faces accusations of "intelligence with a foreign power," "delivering information of fundamental national interest to a foreign power," and "engaging in activities to inform a foreign power regarding fundamental national interests," effectively amounting to espionage.

The civil servant is reported to have been in regular contact with an individual of Algerian nationality employed at the Algeria Consulate in Créteil. He is accused of sharing personal information and asylum applications pertaining to Algerians, specifically "notorious opponents of the current political regime," as indicated by public prosecutors. This situation unfolds against a backdrop of heightened tensions between Paris and Algiers.

Is the civil servant a pawn in a larger game?

Defense attorney Me Sipan Ohanians has countered the allegations, asserting that his client was a "victim of a campaign of threats and manipulation by a foreign power that has tightened its grip on him."

According to sources close to the inquiry, the Algerian diplomat at the Créteil consulate, who has been in position since late 2022, was directing the intelligence operations, reportedly benefiting from "cover" and working for Algerian intelligence. Notably, he has thus far evaded prosecution due to diplomatic immunity, as reported by Le Parisien.

The investigation revealed that this diplomat sought information on various Algerian nationals from the civil servant, including well-known opponents like Amir Boukhors and Mohamed Larbi Zitout, both under international arrest warrants for terrorism. Influential figures, such as the online influencer Chawki Benzehra, and a refugee journalist who has filed a lawsuit in France against an Algerian general were also reportedly on the radar.

Some of these individuals have allegedly faced "violence, death threats, or attempted kidnappings," noted the same investigative source, who refrained from elaborating on potential causal links.

A web of intimate relations

How did the Bercy official gain access to this sensitive information? Reports suggest that he established an "intimate relationship" with a social assistant from Ofii, whom he solicited to access a confidential software program for information gathering. The social worker, a woman in her forties, was charged on February 7 with violating professional secrecy, according to prosecutors.

During the investigation, she maintained that she did not receive any compensation for her actions, as reported by sources close to the case. The attorney representing her, Fabien Arakelian, declined to comment when approached.

The matter first came to light in June 2024 when the General Directorate for Internal Security (DGSI) was alerted to the relationship between the Bercy employee and the Algerian diplomat.

By November, the investigation was handed over to two examining magistrates regarding charges of "intelligence with a foreign power, delivery of information of fundamental national interest to a foreign power, theft and disclosure of national defense secrets by their custodian, incitement to treason or espionage not followed by effect, and violation of professional secrecy." The investigations remain ongoing.