Bernard Bajolet, former director of the General Directorate for External Security in France, is accused of complicity in blackmail and violation of individual liberty. His trial begins on Thursday at the court in Bobigny.

Bernard Bajolet, former director general of the French General Directorate for External Security (DGSE), will be tried on Thursday for complicity in attempted blackmail and arbitrary violation of individual liberty. The charges are related to an incident in March 2016, when Alain Dumenil, a Franco-Swiss businessman, was detained at Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airport. Two unidentified DGSE agents threatened Dumenil with photographs of him and his family, demanding that he repay 15 million euros. Bajolet has acknowledged that he approved a meeting between Dumenil and the DGSE, but denies giving instructions for its conduct. His lawyer claims that the charges are unfounded. Dumenil is considered a "black sheep" by the DGSE due to a long-standing litigation, in which the intelligence services accuse him of financial maneuvers that caused them losses. The trial will last two days.