Lebanon-Algeria Relations at Stake

"Lebanon Debate”

It appears that Prime Minister Najib Mikati in the caretaker government is prioritizing his own interests not only above those of his country but also above the principles of law and justice. The victim in this case is not Lebanese, and the consequences of Mikati's submission to the French authorities could negatively impact Lebanon's relationship with another Arab country.

This time, Mikati and the French government are involved in the apprehension of an Algerian man in Lebanon, to be extradited to France without any substantial evidence or legal accusation against him.

In more detail, Abdel Karim Tawil is an Algerian businessman born in France to Algerian parents. He left France in 2017 and established himself in the UAE, where he currently resides with his wife and three children. He worked as a car dealer and obtained golden residency in the UAE.

In the last months of 2023, French authorities requested the Dubai government to extradite Mr. Abdel Karim Tawil under the pretext that he committed a drug-related crime in French territories, in 2019, despite him being in Dubai during that time.

Tawil was arrested on October 25, 2023, and after several months of investigation, the French authorities failed to prove the charges against him. Despite an agreement between the two governments to extradite the wanted individual, the Dubai government released Tawil on February 5, 2024, 3.5 months after his arrest.

Upon his arrival in Lebanon a few months later, Tawil was again arrested at Beirut airport for the same charges, despite the absence of an extradition agreement between France and Lebanon. The Cassation Public Prosecution initiated extradition procedures against him.

It is evident that Tawil has no connection to the charges against him. Investigations conducted by French authorities with other individuals arrested in the drug case showed no affiliation with Tawil. Yet, the French authorities assumed Tawil's identity based solely on a message sent in Spanish mentioning the name "Wiki", without concrete evidence.

Despite the Lebanese government and Ministry of Justice's right to refuse extradition if unconvinced by the charges, the government cannot exercise this right until the election of a new president.

"توقيف اعتباطي وتواطؤ سياسي... فضيحة قد تهز علاقة لبنان بالجزائر!"