At least two French government employees have been charged in Paris for allegedly leaking confidential information to Algeria, according to the Paris-based news outlet Sahel Intelligence.
While the outlet did not disclose their identities, the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office said both suspects are French-Algerian nationals.
One of the accused is a 56-year-old male civil servant employed at France’s Ministry of Economy and Finance, while the other is a female social worker at the French Office for Immigration and Integration (OFII).
Investigators allege that the male suspect, with the help of the OFII employee, provided an Algerian intelligence operative with sensitive details about Algerian citizens in France, including asylum seekers and high-profile opposition figures. The female suspect reportedly accessed a restricted government database to obtain this information.
The male suspect was reportedly charged with espionage-related offenses, including “collaborating with a foreign power” and “disclosing information impacting the nation’s fundamental interests,” while the female worker was charged with breaching professional secrecy.
The espionage case emerges amid heightened tensions between France and Algeria. A recent documentary aired on a French television network detailed covert operations allegedly conducted by Algerian intelligence agents in France.
The report suggested that Algerian operatives attempted to recruit political dissidents through social media, offering amnesty and safe return to Algeria in exchange for intelligence on fellow activists.
