France: Four young people jailed after attempted murder of Algerian opposition figure Hichem Aboud in 2025

Four men were charged and detained on Saturday in Paris, suspected of being involved in an attempted murder against Algerian opposition figure Hichem Aboud in February 2025 in northern France, AFP learned Sunday from sources close to the case.

A judicial investigation, that is to say an inquiry entrusted to an investigating judge, was opened in March 2026 by the French national anti-terrorist prosecutor's office.

The suspects are aged between 19 and 22. Three have been charged with attempted murder as part of an organized group in connection with a terrorist enterprise, and the fourth with complicity in this attempted murder and criminal terrorist association, a judicial source confirmed.

Hichem Aboud is an Algerian journalist critical of the government and a former officer.

According to one of the sources close, investigators discovered the "contract on the head" of Mr. Aboud, who lives in Roubaix (northern France), as part of investigations into another case concerning the robbery of a museum in November 2024 near Lyon (east).

They then traced a group on the encrypted messaging app Signal, leading to a team of alleged executors, including the one who was supposed to pull the trigger for the sum of 10,000 euros, according to this source close to the matter.

In February 2025, this team traveled to Roubaix with instructions to kill and a specific address. The plan failed because the target was not there, according to sources close to the investigation.

When contacted by AFP, the lawyer for the alleged shooter, Marie Buisson, declined to comment at this stage.

On Saturday, the debates on the placement of the suspects in pre-trial detention took place behind closed doors at the Paris court, with the prosecutor mentioning "many investigations still to be carried out" and "many lies and obstructions in this investigation".

AFP, however, attended the beginning of one of these hearings, before the closed session was ordered by the judge of freedoms and detention.

One of the young suspects, with bushy hair and a brown beard, appeared calm in the dock, wearing a trucker sweater.

When contacted by AFP, his lawyers, Pierre Zientara and Ambroise Palle, declined to comment.

In addition to the four suspects, a fifth person was taken into custody at the headquarters of the General Directorate for Internal Security (DGSI), according to a judicial source. However, this person has been released without charge at this stage, according to a source close to the investigation.