France's Ambassador to Algiers summoned to Foreign Ministry over Hasseni legal affair

The French Ambassador to Algiers, Mr Xavier Driencourt, was summoned on Tuesday to the Foreign Affairs Ministry over the vexed Hasseni legal affair and its adverse repercussions on Algerian –French relations owing to the French justice's dilatory and shilly-shallying maneuvers on the issue.

• The Foreign Ministry officials expressed to the French Ambassador the Algerian government’s utter surprise and deep concern at the unexpected decision by French judges to refuse to discharge Algerian diplomat, Mohamed Ziane Hasseni, for blatant lack of evidence as required last February by the Paris public prosecutor’s office.
• The latter had earlier  dismissed all the charges levelled against  Ziane Hasseni as evidence showed during the investigation process that it is a clear case of mistaken identity.
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• The French Ambassador’s attention was brought to the fact that this untoward decision constituted a new unacceptable blow dealt to the cardinal principle that the defendant is innocent until proven guilty.
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