Arrived in France on Monday February 6, 2023, the activist and political opponent and Franco-Algerian journalist, Amira Bouraoui will have succeeded in creating new tensions in relations between France and Algeria. The latter was first arrested in Tunisia on February 3 at the airport when she wanted to board for France and risked deportation to Algeria, where she should have served a two-year prison sentence. The Algerian journalist and opponent Amira Bouraoui will therefore have escaped extradition to Algeria from Tunisia where she had found refuge for a few days.
After all this turbulence created, between the recall of the Algerian Ambassador to France by President Tebboune, but also the condemnation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the announcement of the opening of an investigation announced by Boughali, to put in light the underside of this affair, and the accusations of the APS against the French DGSE, Amira Bouraoui, who is in France, chose to come out of her silence, by intervening on the TV5 Monde channel in the program “Grand Angle” moderated by Mohamed Kaci.
Indeed, yesterday the activist spoke for the first time on a media, the journalist begins by questioning her on the reason which pushed her to leave Algeria, the latter considering that the ISTN of which she is the object in Algeria is illegal, justifying this with the Algerian constitution. She continues by specifying that she tried to lift this ban on leaving the territory legally without success, by sending several letters to prosecutors via her lawyers, letters that remained unanswered.
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Amira recounts how she left Algeria for Tunisia
From these answers, Mohamed Kaci continues by questioning him on the way in which Amira Bouraoui was able to leave Algerian territory to go to Tunisia. The activist replies that she simply crossed the Algerian-Tunisian border (Oum Taboul), by car via, specifying that no one would have helped her to cross the borders as it is said in several Algerian media. She quotes Mustapha Bendjama, editor-in-chief of the newspaper Le Provencial in Annaba, who was arrested from his workplace on February 8, 2023, during the afternoon. It therefore denies any aid to cross the borders between Algeria and Tunisia.
Arriving in Tunisia, Amira Bouraoui, recounts having bought a plane ticket Tunis – Paris, she was arrested at Tunis airport, because she had no proof of her crossing the Algerian-Tunisian border, where she was remained 3 days in detention, before appearing before the judge.
The journalist goes on to ask Bouraoui the question, how did you end up in France? and what France helped him for that? The activist categorically refutes any help from France, for her passage from Tunisia to France, denying the rumors which say that the French consul exfiltrated her, explaining that the latter would only have intervened after she was passed before the judge after the 3 days of detention, or the judge released her, or she was given her passport. Amira Bouraoui, continues by claiming to have been kidnapped when she left the court by two agents who allegedly confiscated her passport, and locked up at the border post between Algeria and Tunisia, what she describes as sequestration will have according to her lasted for hours.
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Amira Bouraoui explains the intervention of the Consul of France in Tunisia
The TV5 Monde journalist questions Bouraoui about France’s intervention for arriving in France. The activist explains that after this kidnapping and sequestration, her lawyer chose to alert the press, and it was from this moment that the French consul in Tunisia decided to intervene.
From there, Mohamed Kaci who affirms that this affair takes on large proportions, asks her what she answers to the fact that France is accused by Algeria of clandestine exfiltration. Amira Bouraoui without hesitation says no, explaining that the consul only intervened when she was kidnapped and sequestered, which helped to free her, and it is from this that Tunisia allowed him to travel.
Bouraoui evokes the imprisonment of Ihsane el Kadi and many other activists in Algeria
The journalist who recalls that Algiers has recalled its ambassador to France, and that Tunisia has dismissed its Minister of Foreign Affairs, asks the activist and opponent if she assumes everything that is happening around her passage to France via Tunisia and of the proportions it takes. Amira Bouraoui, affirms that she was under enormous pressure in Algeria, mentioning that according to her the straw that broke the camel’s back was the imprisonment of Kadi El Ihsane, director of Radio M, where the latter presented the political program “Café press”, adding that she should perhaps have borrowed a makeshift boat, to avoid being behind this whole diplomatic crisis, which according to her has no reason to be.
Read also: Journalist Ihsane El Kadi held in detention
Mohamed Kaci, reminds Amira Bouraoui that she has committed two offenses, that of leaving Algeria illegally and that of returning illegally to Tunisia, he therefore questions her on what pushed her to do this and what made her fear. She recalls that for years she has been under enormous pressure, and that she has been dragging out numerous lawsuits, also recalling that she has been an opponent for years, and that this whole climate pushed her to take the decision to leave Algeria.
The journalist continues by saying that the Algerians affirm that the opponents in Algeria as soon as they feel in danger wave the French flag. Amira responds to this by informing that she has held the nationality for years and this after a mixed marriage, a relationship during which she had two children.
Amira Bouraoui calls for appeasement
In addition, Mohamed Kaci questions Amira Bouraoui about her status, whether she considers herself an exile or a fugitive, and whether she intends to return to Algeria one day? The activist replies that she hopes to be able to return to Algeria one day, affirming that it remains her country, but that she is also at home in France, and that she has always hoped that all these pressures suffered by the activists will be lifted. Bouraoui also specifies that many activists are still behind bars in Algeria, sometimes for simple Facebook posts.
To conclude, the TV5 Monde journalist asks Bouraoui if she calls for appeasement in the face of this affair. Amira Bouraoui, calls for this to settle down, affirming that many use it to spread rumours, but also that all this takes on proportions which she describes as ridiculous, whereas it should fall under, as she said, ” miscellaneous”.
Read also: Algerian activist Amira Bouraoui joins France
