A French court has issued a final verdict convicting former Libyan Consul in Marseille, Samir Al-Touil, of passive corruption, sentencing him in absentia to three years in prison (suspended) and ordering him to pay an €80,000 fine.
The case, brought in 2021, centred on payments allegedly made by a Syrian contractor for renovation work at the Libyan consulate in Marseille’s 8th arrondissement. The court questioned whether the case amounted to a “corruption agreement or blackmail,” according to French newspaper La Provence.
Despite being summoned for questioning, Al-Touil—now 48—ceased cooperating with investigators and did not appear in court, leading to a trial in absentia. The Syrian businessman, who also faced charges, failed to attend the proceedings but was ultimately acquitted and recognised as a civil party and a victim by the court.
In court testimony, the businessman claimed he was threatened by Al-Touil and the consulate’s accountant, saying they warned him of potential harm “like what happened to the Saudi journalist,” referencing Jamal Khashoggi’s 2018 murder in Istanbul. In another instance, he alleged the diplomat mentioned paying “a million euros to have someone killed.”
Despite prosecutors portraying the businessman as an active participant in the scheme and requesting a suspended one-year sentence and a €5,000 fine, the court found insufficient credible evidence to convict him. Only one witness supported the claim of a premeditated agreement, but the court deemed their statements highly unreliable.
The court also rejected diplomatic immunity, ruling that corruption is not covered by the official duties of a diplomat. Presiding judge Lola Vandermeysen remarked, “The facts are serious.”
In addition to the suspended sentence and financial penalty, the former consul was banned from entering French territory for ten years and prohibited from running for public office for three years.
