Algeria expels 12 French diplomats amid row over influencer's alleged kidnapping

(AFP): Algeria has ordered 12 French embassy officials to leave the country within 48 hours, escalating a diplomatic rift linked to the alleged abduction of an exiled Algerian influencer in France.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot confirmed the expulsions on Monday, calling on Algerian authorities to reverse the decision or face retaliatory measures.

“If the decision to send back our officials is maintained, we will have no other choice but to respond immediately,” Barrot said in a statement.

The expelled personnel include several from France’s interior ministry, a diplomatic source told AFP.

The move follows France’s indictment on Friday of three Algerian nationals, including a consular official, over their suspected involvement in the April 2024 kidnapping of influencer Amir Boukhors—widely known online as "Amir DZ"—from a suburb near Paris.

Boukhors, who has over a million followers on TikTok and is a vocal critic of the Algerian government, was granted political asylum in France in 2023.

He was reportedly abducted last year and released the next day.

Algeria has accused Boukhors of fraud and terrorism, issuing nine international arrest warrants against him and demanding his return for trial.

Algiers has described the indictments as a politically motivated attempt to undermine recent efforts to rebuild ties with its former colonial ruler.