Algerian Man Thought Dead Found In Neighbour's Hidden Cellar After 25 Years

A man from Algeria, who was presumed dead, was being held captive by his neighbour for more than 25 years by 'casting a spell,' Algeria's local media reported. He was found hidden in a hay-covered underground cellar at the 61-year-old neighbour's property.

Omar Bin Omran was 17 when he disappeared in 1997. The family of the now 45-year-old man had presumed that he had died in the civil war between Algeria's government and Islamist rebel groups.However, following a dispute over inheritance in the family, The Public Prosecutor's Office received an anonymous complaint through the regional department of National Gendarmerie in El Jadid about Omar being held captive by the neighbour, per a court official in Djelfa cited by The Sun.

Local media reported that one of the members from the 61-year-old neighbour's family revealed the 'kidnapping' in a social media post. Omar's family then raided the neighbour's house, which is just a few yards away from theirs, and found him.

A video of the moment Omran was found in an underground cellar went viral. He looks visibly distraught in the video, and seems to suggest that the neighbour, a public servant, had cast a spell on him due to which he was unable to escape. He is now receiving treatment at a local hospital, the court official said.

Here's the video:

🚨 | Hombre argelino encontrado vivo en el sótano de un vecino después de 27 años.

En 1997, Omar Bin Omran, de 17 años, uno de nueve hijos, desapareció mientras se dirigía a una escuela vocacional en la ciudad de Djelfa.

Se inició una búsqueda que involucró al perro de la… pic.twitter.com/QpooReJQNH

— Alerta Mundial (@AlertaMundoNews) May 15, 2024

The court official added that the court has ordered an 'in depth' investigation into the case: "Following this report the General Prosecutor of the Court of Idrisiya in the province of Djelfa ordered the National Gendarmerie to open an in-depth investigation and officers went to the house in question."

"The Public Prosecutor's Office ordered that the victim receive medical and psychological treatment, and the suspect will be presented to the Public Prosecutor's Office immediately after the completion of the investigation," he added.