Ayoub Aissiou awaits Spanish decision on Algerian extradition request

Algerian businessman Ayoub Aissiou is currently detained in a Spanish prison following his arrest in July while traveling from Morocco. Aissiou was previously sentenced in absentia to twenty years of imprisonment by the Algerian justice system. In response to his arrest, Algeria has issued an international arrest warrant and submitted a formal extradition request to Spanish authorities.

A campaign for Aissiou’s release is gaining momentum in Europe. An open letter addressed to the Spanish and French governments has been organized by philosopher Daniel Salvatore Schiffer, with support from figures such as writer Marek Halter and imam Hassen Chalghoumi. The letter, signed by approximately twenty intellectuals and media personalities, calls for his immediate release.

The case highlights ongoing judicial and diplomatic tensions between Algeria and several European nations. If the extradition request is granted, Aissiou faces a twenty-year prison sentence in Algeria. Records indicate that Aissiou’s travel to Morocco increased significantly following the 2019 diplomatic rupture between Algeria and Morocco.