The lawyer Laurent Kennes was perplexed by the situation and expressed his concerns via a letter addressed to the FPS Foreign Affairs. He argued that the ministry has an obligation to safeguard its citizens traveling abroad and render them necessary assistance. He further pointed out that Mr. Hamani, being born and raised in Belgium with a family in Algeria, deserves prompt attention from the authorities. The lawyer also raised questions regarding whether the Minister of Foreign Affairs was made aware of the issue and if any efforts were made to contact the Algerian government. According to Kennes, the intervention of the Minister of Foreign Affairs is essential to resolve the issue as Mr. Hamani is accused of holding illegal currencies, which is quite ambiguous. Meanwhile, the spokesperson for FPS Foreign Affairs stated that they are well-informed regarding the situation and are in contact with the local authorities in Algeria.
Contacted by us, the lawyer Laurent Kennes is also surprised by this situation. In a letter addressed to the FPS Foreign Affairs, he does not hesitate to raise his voice: “The government of our country has the mission, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to protect its citizens beyond the borders and to provide them with the best possible assistance. You will understand that the fact that Mr. Hamani, born in Belgium, who has always lived here, founded a family there and knows little regarding Algeria, is entitled to expect some more active steps. His partner is Belgian, his son is Belgian. Is the Minister personally informed of this situation? Has she contacted her Algerian counterpart to tell him the seriousness of the situation? Are other contacts being made to denounce this unacceptable situation and demand that our fellow citizen be taken care of? Or do you take the risk that he will come out of this hell disabled or dead?
For Laurent Kennes, an intervention by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hadja Lahbib, is now essential to unblock this file urgently. “He is accused of holding illegal currencies. He is also accused of having changed money outside Algeria. All of this is not very clear. Any useful approach and a little more panache would be welcome to give a little hope to my client who does not see the end of it.
Reached late yesterday Wednesday, April 12, the FPS Foreign Affairs explained to us that they were aware of the situation of Mohamed Hamani: “Contacts have been made with the local authorities. We are following this file very closely via our embassy in Algiers” his spokesperson told us. The sign, perhaps, that the ordeal that is going through Mohamed and his family now challenges in higher places.
It is disheartening to know that a fellow citizen is facing such a difficult situation in a foreign country. It is important for the authorities to act swiftly and provide the necessary assistance to Mohamed Hamani and his family. The letter from lawyer Laurent Kennes raises important questions regarding the government’s responsibility towards its citizens living abroad. We hope that the intervention by the Minister of Foreign Affairs will unblock this file urgently and provide some much-needed relief to Mohamed and his family. We appreciate the efforts of the FPS Foreign Affairs in following this file closely and hope that their continued engagement with the local authorities will lead to a positive outcome for Mohamed and his family.
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