The European Union reacts to journalist Hicham Aboud’s statements regarding his abduction in Spain
The Algerian journalist Hicham Aboud has just received a response to his letter sent to the President of the European Commission, the President of the European Parliament, and the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, on the occasion of Human Rights Day.
Mr. Colin Steinbach, head of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA MAGHREB) division of the European External Action Service of the EU, was assigned to respond to him.
He stated: “Thank you for sharing your case with us; we have read it with great interest. The European Union closely monitors the human rights situation in Algeria, as this is a key element of EU-Algeria relations, which has been enshrined in our Association Agreement.” He added that “the European Union regularly raises its concerns about human rights and fundamental freedoms with representatives of the Algerian government at all levels.”
Below is the content of Mr. Hicham Aboud’s letter:
To Their Excellencies,
- Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission
- Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament
- Kaja Kallas, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
Subject: Abduction of an Algerian journalist on European soil
Your Excellencies,
I am Hicham Aboud, an Algerian journalist and writer, author of the book “The Generals’ Mafia” (J.C. Lattès Editions, February 2002), and a victim of an abduction in Barcelona on the evening of October 17, 2024, by four armed and hooded men. Forced into a light vehicle, I was transported to Lebrija, a municipality in the province of Seville, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain, from where I was to be smuggled to Algeria aboard a riverboat. I was saved at the last minute by the Guardia Civil officers in the city of Lebrija, while I was still on the banks of the Guadalquivir River. Two members of this terrorist organization who kidnapped me were arrested: one of Moroccan nationality and the other a Franco-Senegalese national. The latter was found in possession of my Algerian passport and my cardholder containing my various identity documents.
While I salute the Guardia Civil officers of Lebrija, I must point out that their presence at the scene was originally for the interception of a riverboat transporting drugs. It was on this boat that I was supposed to be taken before being transferred to an Algerian yacht in international waters. Thus, it was purely by chance that these brave officers found and rescued me from the hands of this terrorist group.
Your Excellencies,
I am neither a businessman nor a wealthy person who could interest terrorist or mafia organizations for kidnapping and ransom. Nor do I have enemies who would pay a high price to a terrorist organization to have me abducted and delivered alive, except for the Algerian government, which I disturb with my writings and audiovisual appearances.
Exiled since February 17, 1997, to escape injustice and political oppression in Algeria, I was sentenced to four prison terms between 1992 and 1996 after the authorities banned three newspapers I had created (two dailies and a weekly). In 1996, I was also stripped of my accreditation as a correspondent for Le Quotidien de Paris.
In 2011, with assurances that I could practice journalism freely, I returned to Algeria and founded two newspapers (one in French and one in Arabic). Unfortunately, this experience was short-lived: within 13 months, both publications were banned, and I faced legal persecution. Today, I have accumulated a total of 77 years in prison sentences for opinion-related offenses.
Having failed to have me extradited despite ten international arrest warrants, the Algerian government listed me as a terrorist by ministerial decree on February 6, 2022, even though I have never carried weapons or threatened anyone’s security—this was done solely to justify my extradition.
In November 2021, the Algerian government orchestrated an assassination attempt in Liège (Belgium), where two intelligence agents attempted to poison me. When this failed, on orders from President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, they planned my abduction in Madrid.
The French National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT) opened an investigation following a request from the Brussels Prosecutor’s Office, which was the first to take up the case. The investigation, led by the French Anti-Terrorism Directorate, gathered conclusive evidence implicating the Algerian government.
However, to everyone’s surprise, the PNAT in Paris closed the case, claiming that “the two suspects merely intended to repatriate me to Algeria” and adding that “no violence was involved”. I have appealed this decision, but the case remains stalled.
The October 17 abduction I suffered is another criminal act orchestrated by the Algerian government. There is no doubt about it. The two arrested members of the group that kidnapped me can testify to this. The Spanish security services, who questioned me after my release, have sufficient evidence proving the involvement of Algerian intelligence services. The only party benefiting from my abduction and forced transfer to Algeria is the Algerian government. No other entity would gain from it.
Your Excellencies,
The trust placed in you by the European people is enough to remind you of your heavy responsibility to uphold the honor of Europe and its citizens, above diplomatic or economic interests. By orchestrating a crime on Spanish and European soil, the Algerian government has violated Europe’s honor and blatantly disrespected the territorial integrity of EU countries. Therefore, it has left no excuse or justification for you not to condemn it and take this case before European institutions.
Confident in your good faith and sense of duty, I sincerely hope, Your Excellencies, that you will take the necessary measures to denounce the Algerian government before European and international institutions.
Please accept, Your Excellencies, the expression of my deepest respect.
