One of the most influential officers in the Algerian secret service defects and seeks asylum in Switzerland

A coup within the Algerian government. Lieutenant Colonel Merouane, head of security and liaison at the Algerian embassy in Rome (Italy), defected from the Algerian secret services at the beginning of May to seek refuge with his entire family in Switzerland, where he has officially requested political asylum to escape the threats of persecution hanging over him in Algeria, the country he has served for many years, according to Ilyas Aribi in Maghreb-intelligence.com

Anis N., known under the pseudonym Merouane, is not just any officer in the General Directorate of Documentation and External Security (DGDSE), the Algerian foreign intelligence services. According to well-informed Algerian sources, he is considered one of the five most influential and important officers in the Algerian services.

At the head of the security and liaison office of the Algerian embassy in Rome (Italy) since 2020, this lieutenant colonel is known for his close ties to several senior officials in the Tebboune regime. Maghreb-intelligence.com claims that over the past five years, he has even become the “black box” of the Algerian regime due to his handling of several highly sensitive political and security issues that have marked relations between Algeria and Italy, Abdelmadjid Tebboune's main strategic partner.

In addition, Lieutenant Colonel Merouane has established a very special relationship with several members of the Algerian president's family. According to sources at Maghreb-intelligence.com, it was this Algerian intelligence officer who was responsible for organizing the vacations and private stays of Abdelmadjid Tebboune's children in Italy. The defection of this senior Algerian intelligence officer has had a devastating effect in Algiers.

His defection took place in circumstances that remain disturbing and mysterious. However, several sources claim that he has been the victim of a new clan war that has broken out within the Tebboune clan itself. Lieutenant Colonel Merouane's opponents are said to have compiled a terrifying case file against him at the military court in Blida, where he could face penalties including the death penalty.

Some Algerian diplomats who have dealt with Lieutenant Colonel Merouane in Italy describe him as the victim of a judicial and political conspiracy aimed at destroying him forever for having “disobeyed” dangerous political orders that violate ethics and morality, according to information published on Maghreb-intelligence.com. The case of Lieutenant Colonel Merouane promises to be the subject of much discussion in the coming days.