Summary:
A French Ministry of Economy (Bercy) employee has been indicted in Paris on suspicion of spying for Algeria. The official is accused of providing Algerian intelligence services with confidential information, including details about opponents of Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune living in France. The case, which involves alleged collaboration with a social worker from the French Office of Immigration and Integration (Ofii), could further strain France-Algeria relations.
Details:
The Bercy employee was formally charged on December 19, 2024, and placed under judicial supervision, according to sources cited by AFP on Wednesday. Paris prosecutors confirmed the charges, which include “collaboration with a foreign power,” “delivering information vital to national interests to a foreign power,” and “conducting activities to gather information on France’s fundamental interests for a foreign entity.”
The suspect allegedly maintained regular contact with an Algerian national working at the Algerian consulate in Créteil. Prosecutors say he shared personal data and asylum application details about Algerians in France, including well-known opponents of Algeria’s regime.
The employee’s lawyer, Sipan Ohanians, told AFP that his client was “a victim of threats and manipulation by a foreign power that tightened its grip around him.”
Algerian Consulate Link:
A source close to the investigation revealed that the Algerian consulate worker, employed since late 2022, was the mastermind behind the operation. Allegedly operating under cover for Algerian intelligence, this individual requested information from the Bercy employee about Algerian nationals, including prominent dissidents like Amir Boukhors and Mohamed Larbi Zitout—both wanted on international terrorism warrants—as well as influencer Chawki Benzehra, a refugee journalist, and an Algerian who filed a lawsuit in France against a general.
The source noted that some of these individuals have faced “violence, death threats, or attempted abductions,” though no direct causal link was specified. The consulate worker has not been charged at this stage.
Role of a Social Worker:
The Bercy employee reportedly obtained the information through an “intimate relationship” with a social worker at the Ofii. She allegedly accessed a confidential database at his request. The social worker, in her 40s, was indicted on February 7, 2025, for breaching professional secrecy, according to prosecutors. She claimed she received no payment, per a source close to the case. Her lawyer, Fabien Arakelian, declined to comment.
Investigation Timeline:
The case began in June 2024 when France’s internal security agency (DGSI) flagged the connection between the Bercy employee and the Algerian official. By November 2024, two investigating judges took over, probing charges such as “collaboration with a foreign power,” “leaking national defense secrets,” “incitement to treason or espionage,” and “breach of professional secrecy.”
Impact:
This rare espionage case risks escalating tensions between France and Algeria, spotlighting issues of national security, immigration, and international relations.
