France threatens retaliation against Algeria over influencer arrests

France's foreign minister warned on Friday of possible "retaliation" against Algeria if tensions rise over the arrests of Algerian social media influencers accused of inciting violence, News.az reports citing foreign media.

Four influencers supportive of Algerian authorities have been arrested in recent days over videos that are suspected of calling for violent acts in France.

Algeria meanwhile has been holding French-Algerian novelist Boualem Sansal on national security charges. Sansal, who was arrested at Algiers airport in November, is a major figure in modern francophone literature.

Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told LCI television that France would have "no option but to retaliate" if "the Algerians continue to escalate" the row, citing restrictions to visas or development aid among possible measures.

France's interior minister Bruno Retailleau accused Algeria of trying to "seeking to humiliate France "during a visit to the western city of Nantes.

"Algeria is currently holding a great writer - Boualem Sansal - who is not only Algerian but also French.

"Can a great country, a great people allow itself to keep in detention for the wrong reasons someone who is old and sick?"

Turning to the influencers, he said it was "out of the question to give a free pass to these individuals who spread hatred and anti-Semitism.

"I think we have reached an extremely worrying threshold with Algeria," he added. France "cannot tolerate" an "unacceptable situation".

"While keeping our cool (...) we must now consider all the means we have at our disposal with regards to Algeria."

News.Az