French Tourist’s Vacation Turns into Nightmare Amid Algeria-Morocco Tensions

It all began on August 29, 2023, as Ismaïl and his three friends, Bilal Kissi, Mohammed and Abdelali Mchiouer, were enjoying a sunny day in Saïdia. At the helm of their jet skis, they decided to go to Cap-de-l’Eau for a lunch with their feet in the water. The day passed peacefully, between swims and photos shared on Snapchat.

In the evening, as the mist began to envelop the sea, the four friends set out on their return journey. But they quickly got lost, disoriented by the lack of landmarks. Suddenly, an Algerian coast guard boat emerged from the mist and headed straight for them. At first, Ismaïl thought he would find help from the soldiers. He addressed them in Arabic, explaining that they had gotten lost. But the response was brutal: "Get out of here! Morocco is over there!"

The four men immediately complied, but gunshots rang out. Panicked, Ismaïl jumped into the water. Rescued by the coast guards, he was violently pinned to the ground, his feet and hands tied. The soldiers beat him and insulted him, asking him if he was Jewish and if he had already visited Israel. Ismaïl then did not know the fate of his friends. He would later learn that Bilal and Abdelali had been killed by the coast guards. Only Mohammed managed to escape and return to Morocco.

Then began for Ismaïl a long descent into hell. Taken to Algeria, he was accused of illegal entry and smuggling. He was tried and sentenced to three months in prison, a sentence that was later increased to six months, then to one year. Ismaïl was incarcerated in inhuman conditions, sleeping on damp blankets, subjected to torture and humiliation. He lost 30 kilos and sank into despair.

To add to his suffering, he was shown the lifeless body of Abdelali. Algeria refused for months to return his remains to his family in Morocco. It was only later that Ismaïl learned of Bilal’s death, through his brother who came to visit him in prison.

Ismaïl was finally released after a year of detention, but he had to pay a fine of 100,000 euros, a colossal sum that he managed to raise by borrowing from his relatives. Upon his release from prison, an Algerian policeman threatened him, advising him not to talk about his experience in France, under penalty of reprisals against his family still in Algeria.

Back in France, Ismaïl is deeply traumatized. He is followed by a psychiatrist and is trying to rebuild his life. His testimony sheds light on the brutality of the Algerian regime and its hostility towards Morocco. It also raises questions about the treatment of dual nationals and the safety of tourists in this region. The Ismaïl Snabi affair is a brutal reminder of the dramatic consequences of geopolitical tensions and the arbitrariness of authoritarian regimes.