François Zimeray’s Hypocrisy Unveiled: The Zionist Advocate Exploiting Algeria’s Sovereignty for Dubious Agendas

BY: Dr. Hana Saada

Algiers, Algeria | December 17th, 2024 — The controversy surrounding French lawyer and retired diplomat François Zimeray escalated this week as he intensified his media appearances, attempting to pressure Algerian authorities into granting him a visa to intervene in the legal proceedings of French writer Boualem Sansal. Tasked by Gallimard Publishing House to defend Sansal, Zimeray’s persistent and provocative rhetoric reveals not only his disdain for Algeria’s judicial sovereignty but also a deeper agenda aligned with extremist ideological positions.

Despite the rejection of his visa request last week, Zimeray remains undeterred. In an interview with the far-right Le Figaro channel, Zimeray sought to cast doubt on the fairness of Sansal’s trial—a claim wholly unsubstantiated and grounded in sheer arrogance. His insinuation that only his presence could ensure a “fair trial” is an affront to Algeria’s legal system, which rigorously upholds the rights of defendants, including Sansal, who has been provided full access to due process since his detention. Such remarks are not only patronizing but reflective of a colonial mindset that dismisses Algeria’s institutions as incapable of impartial justice without Western oversight.

Zimeray’s opportunistic concern for justice reeks of hypocrisy. While he paints himself as a defender of human rights, his record tells a starkly different story. This is the same François Zimeray who vehemently opposed the International Criminal Court’s decision to issue arrest warrants for war criminals among the leaders of the Zionist entity—figures directly responsible for the ongoing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and elsewhere. His selective silence when it comes to the slaughter of women, children, and elderly Palestinians by the brutal Zionist war machine exposes his double standards and moral bankruptcy.

Zimeray’s alignment with the Zionist entity is not new. He consistently defends the indefensible, labeling the Zionist entity—a regime founded on dispossession and systematic violence—as a “state of law.” In past interviews, including with Le Point, Zimeray openly criticized the pursuit of accountability for Zionist leaders, such as Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, architects of unspeakable war crimes against the Palestinian people. By justifying the Zionist entity’s atrocities under the pretext of “self-defense,” Zimeray forfeits any moral authority to speak on matters of justice.

Zimeray’s motives in defending Boualem Sansal appear less about legal principles and more about political grandstanding. Sansal, a figure celebrated within French far-right circles for his controversial positions, has long alienated Algerians with his rhetoric, which aligns disturbingly with narratives propagated by Algeria’s historical and ideological adversaries. As Sandrine Rousseau, French MP from the Green Party, aptly pointed out, Sansal is no angel; his ideological leanings and associations with the far-right cannot be ignored.

In Algeria, the law is clear: justice is sovereign, and the rights of all defendants are protected under due process. Zimeray’s demand to insert himself into Sansal’s trial, as though bringing with him a colonial “seal of approval,” insults Algeria’s judiciary and its commitment to impartiality. Algeria has no obligation to accommodate a lawyer whose history and affiliations cast doubt on his integrity. This is particularly true when his so-called advocacy for justice remains suspiciously absent when addressing the plight of Palestinians being massacred daily.

Algerian observers widely anticipate that Zimeray’s subsequent visa requests will meet the same fate as his first: outright rejection. Algeria’s decision reflects not only a refusal to succumb to external pressure but also a principled stance against figures who undermine its sovereignty while championing the perpetrators of genocide. Zimeray’s track record of unconditional support for the Zionist entity and his attempts to shield its war criminals from international accountability render his self-proclaimed moral authority null and void.

François Zimeray’s latest media escapades are a calculated attempt to exploit Boualem Sansal’s legal situation to further his questionable agenda. But Algeria remains resolute: its sovereignty is not up for negotiation, nor will it be dictated to by lawyers whose selective morality enables the Zionist regime’s crimes. If Zimeray truly seeks justice, let him start by condemning the bloodshed and devastation wrought by the Zionist entity—a reality that, so far, he has chosen to ignore.

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