Abdou Semmar’s Latest Propaganda: Making Foreign Friendships a Crime

Abdou Semmar’s article presents a sensationalized and poorly-sourced narrative regarding Boualem Sansal’s arrest. It relies on anonymous “sources” and leaps to unsubstantiated conclusions, betraying a lack of journalistic rigor.

Semmar’s claim that the official explanation for Sansal’s arrest, related to his statements on Algerian territorial integrity, is a mere “pretext” is offered without any compelling evidence. He alleges that the true reason lies in Sansal’s connections with Xavier Driencourt, Israel, and Morocco, painting a picture of a vast conspiracy. This claim rests on flimsy assertions about intercepted communications and unsubstantiated suspicions of Sansal acting as a foreign “agent.”
Semmar’s assertion about the DGSI’s purported prowess in decrypting communications is significantly undermined by the documented technological failures of Algerian security services. Notably, during the Hichem Aboud/Le Mediterraneen incident, these services not only failed to infiltrate basic websites without detection but also inadvertently exposed their own location and the specific Samsung Galaxy A52s device they used. This incident exemplifies their lack of sophistication in cybersecurity operations.
Abdou Semmar’s attempt to exaggerate the DGSI’s capabilities, such as decrypting Boualem Sansal’s communications and accessing so-called “troubling” contact lists, appears designed to intimidate the Algerian public, which we repeat is the main goal of this operation. It cultivates an image of an omnipotent intelligence apparatus, leaving citizens feeling powerless and at the mercy of an all-seeing DRS. Abdou Semmar, on behalf of the military regime of algiers misleads the algerian mainstream opinion into believing that the DRS is almighty eye on them and intimidate them into any critical thinking or speaking up.
However, this narrative is demonstrably false. Modern encrypted communication tools, such as messaging apps like Session and browsers like Tor, remain beyond the technical reach of Algerian intelligence agencies. To this day, using an iPhone in combination with these tools provides a secure means of communication.
In reality, Algerian intelligence agencies, including the DRS and DCSA, lack the advanced technical resources necessary to break into such systems. Their operational expertise remains more violent and coercive interrogation techniques, including torture to extract passwords, than on legitimate technological methods for hacking devices or intercepting encrypted communications. The case of Mustapha Bendjama is an example, when during his interrogation, security services used a screwdriver to pry his fingers open and place one on his phone’s fingerprint scanner to open it. This makes us wonder whether Boualem Sensal was tortured in order to gain access to his electronics.
The article further resorts to attacks, referring to Driencourt as “the devil in person” and presenting Sansal’s critique of the Algerian regime as evidence of an insidious plot. It fails to acknowledge the legitimacy of criticizing authoritarian regimes, instead framing it as subversive and treacherous, baseless accusation that further discredits Semmar’s narrative. This article trades in insinuation and conjecture, not facts. Furthermore, professional journalism would actually have reached out to Xavier Driencourt and asked him for his perspective, in order to have a more complete view of the matter, but of course not, since Aboud Semmar’s goal is to publish propaganda for the military regime of algiers and mislead the Algerian opinion from facts to emotionally triggering sensationalism.
Semmar’s piece reads like a poorly-written spy thriller, complete with shadowy figures, intercepted communications, and international intrigue. It’s a far cry from credible journalism. Instead of providing evidence, he offers a string of unsubstantiated claims and relies on the classic tactic of blaming foreign influence for domestic dissent.
This article serves as a textbook example of how propaganda in authoritarian regimes manipulates public judgment. By employing inflammatory and sensationalist rhetoric, figures such as Abdou Semmar, writing under the pseudonym “Ilyas Aribi”, mislead readers and divert attention from substantive issues. Without offering credible evidence, the article deploys exaggerated claims and provocative terms to stoke fear and distract from critical thinking. Phrases such as “Diable en personne,” “Listing jugé ‘troublant,’” “Troublant,” “Subversifs,” “Agent caché d’Israël, du Maroc et des lobbys français les plus hostiles à l’Algérie,” “Complot contre l’Autorité de l’Etat,” “Plaidoyers hostiles contre les autorités algériennes,” “Contenus … considérés comme subversifs,” “Critiques acerbes,” “En vérité que le prétexte,” “Des informations d’ordre politique très critiques,” “Suspecté … d’être un ‘agent’ caché,” “Colportent des messages,” “Véritables motifs,” and “Enquête approfondie” at least 15 negative words with an inflammatory tone, are systematically used to fabricate a narrative of danger, betrayal, and conspiracy, devoid of factual support. This language not only obscures the truth but also serves to polarize and manipulate public sentiment, a hallmark of propaganda in authoritarian contexts.
Abdou Semmar is a tool of the military regime of Algiers to disinform and subtly mislead Algerian mainstream opinion. He misleads the public about a simple fact: Abdou Semmar, not being a professional journalist but a self-styled social media reporter turned self-proclaimed investigative journalist, acts as an inbox for individuals who pay him to extort and blackmail businessmen. He doesn’t know how to use a neutral tone, factual, non-emotionally charged language, or present facts instead of speculative claims with balanced perspectives.
Since, according to Abdou Semmar, having links, ties, and friendships with Israelis and Moroccans is grounds for arrest, how about we start by arresting (not kidnapping or abducting) and handing over to the DGSI and then to the state prosecutor Sabri Boukadoum, the Algerian ambassador who signed the contract with the Israeli lobbying firm defending the interests of the military regime of Algiers? Since having friendships with Xavier Driencourt is a crime, how about arresting and prosecuting the Guemmache brothers who own TSA-Algérie, an independent media outlet subverted into becoming a tool of the military regime of Algiers. The DGSI should also look into the SMS messages of a Minister of Moudjahidine (whose name we will omit) who was asking for visas for himself and his children to attend the Lycée International Alexandre Dumas in Algiers, while simultaneously criticizing France on Algerian TV channels.
This article exemplifies the point of a thugocracy: lobotomizing mainstream opinion from seeing the facts and misleading the public. Sansal was kidnapped and abducted for one week by the teams of General Abdelkader Haddad, with the active knowledge of General Said Chengriha and General Hamid Oubelaïd, retired General Mohamed Mediene advising behind the scenes, and General Mohamed Rochdi Fethi Moussaoui. These are the individuals behind the current situation, and they are the ones dragging Algeria into a thugocracy. Abdou Semmar, you are one of their useful assets for clandestine disinformation and propaganda operations. Ilyas Aribi is Abdou Semmar.