Tibhirine Monks case: French judge cancels his visit to Algeria

French counter-terrorism judge, Marc Trévidic, cancels his visit to Algeria, which he expected to conduct on Saturday, to investigate the assassination of Tibhirine Monks in 1996, as he was forced to cancel the visit because the Algerian authorities did not provide an official invitation.

On the other hand, French Foreign Minister, Laurent Fabius will pay a visit to Algeria next week. 

Agence France Presse, quoted a source, which it described described as close to the file, as saying that the Judge Marc Trévidic, was forced to rescind once again to visit Algeria because he had not received a formal invitation from the country’s authorities, as this visit was expected to be paid with other experts and judges on Saturday, but the judge had not received a formal invitation from the Algerian authorities. 

French judge Trévidic was ready to visit the crime scene to dig up the seven monks’ graves, who were killed in 1996 by the Islamic Armed Group “GIA” which claimed responsibility for their kidnap, but French parties tried to guide the investigation to the hypothesis of an error that was committed by the Algerian armed troops, as this was adopted by the former Military Attache at the French Embassy Gen. François Buchwalter, who was caused of reopening the file of Tibhirine Monks and aggravating the Algerian – French relationships against the backdrop of his statements that accused the Algerian Military Institution of being involved in the killing of the monks, during a gunfire by an Algerian military helicopters, thinking that the place that was targeted belongs to a stronghold of the terrorist groups, a story that officials of the French intelligence and diplomats said it is false. 

In Paris, French Foreign Ministry spokesman, Romain Nadal said – in response to questions by reporters about Trévidic’s canceled visit – “The visit by the same French judge last November, was positive .. pointing out that the French and Algerian authorities are in close contact to prepare for his next visit.

French spokesman asserted in an interview with reporters on Friday, that Paris adheres to shedding light on the “dramatic” circumstances that led to the assassination of those monks, who he described as “men of peace”.

In another context, France’s Foreign Minister will pay a visit to Algeria next week, to discuss ways of cooperation between the two countries, and the security situation.