Overview

• A 56-year-old Ministry of Economy official and a 46-year-old immigration office employee have been charged with espionage for allegedly providing sensitive information to Algerian intelligence services.
• The Ministry official, a dual French-Algerian citizen, is accused of sharing data on Algerian nationals in France, including regime opponents, after being coerced by an Algerian intelligence agent with diplomatic immunity.
• The immigration office employee, who had access to asylum and residency information, is accused of passing data to her partner, the Ministry official, who then relayed it to Algeria.
• The investigation, led by France's internal security agency DGSI, has heightened tensions between France and Algeria, which were already strained due to ongoing diplomatic disputes.
• The Algerian intelligence agent involved in the case has returned to Algeria, leveraging his diplomatic status to avoid arrest in France.