Paris Court of Appeal allows immediate appeal in PSG 'dirty tricks' case by Franco-Algerian lobbyist

Background of the Case

The French justice system is closely examining an agreement signed by Franco-Algerian lobbyist Tayeb Benabderrahmane, in which he pledged not to disclose potentially compromising "confidential" documents concerning Paris Saint-Germain President Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, under penalty of paying him five million euros. The case has been described as part of the "dirty tricks" surrounding the Parisian club.

Detention in Qatar

Before signing the agreement, Mr. Benabderrahmane spent six months in prison in Qatar, starting in January 2020, on suspicion of espionage on behalf of a foreign state. He signed the agreement in July 2020, then left the emirate in November of the same year. He has since stated that he was a "hostage" of Qatar, suffered mistreatment, and was forced to sign the agreement to be released, after which he was placed under house arrest.

Legal Proceedings

Criminal Proceedings

Mr. Benabderrahmane filed a complaint alongside his wife and obtained in 2023 the opening of a judicial investigation for:

• Kidnapping
• False imprisonment
• Torture
• Threats

Civil Proceedings

In civil court, he sought the annulment of the agreement. On February 3, the Paris court paused this procedure without examining the merits. The civil judge stayed the ruling "pending a final decision" regarding the criminal proceedings, as "NAK" had wished.

Appeal Decision

By an order dated July 9, the delegate of the first president of the Paris Court of Appeal authorized Tayeb Benabderrahmane to "immediately appeal" the February 3 order, ruling that the stay "manifestly leads to an unreasonable lengthening of the civil proceedings." The appeal will be argued on November 12.

Reactions

"This decision, rare in practice, disavows the strategy of procedural stalling deployed for nearly five years. Mr. Benabderrahmane asks for only one thing: that a French judge finally examine the validity of a blackmail protocol signed in Doha under duress and torture, after six months of arbitrary detention," emphasized his lawyer, Frédéric Belot.

Mr. Benabderrahmane's defense had a UN body recognize in April 2025 that he had been detained "arbitrarily" in Qatar. "We are convinced that the truth will ultimately prevail," added Me Belot.

Contacted by AFP, Nasser Al-Khelaïfi's lawyers could not be reached immediately.

Separate Investigation

In a separate investigation, Tayeb Benabderrahmane is under formal investigation, notably for influence peddling and corruption. He is suspected of having provided PSG members with confidential information obtained by police officers and of holding compromising information about Qatar and Mr. Al-Khelaïfi, which could have been used for blackmail.