Paris Court Postpones Trial of Algerian Hacker Hamza Bendelladj Until 2027

The trial of Algerian hacker Hamza Bendelladj, known as the "smiling hacker," opened in Paris on September 9, 2025, before being postponed once again due to legal complications.

Hamza Bendelladj, already notorious for the SpyEye banking malware case in the United States, is accused of deploying the PyLocky ransomware in the summer of 2018. This is the first time the case has been examined in open court, after a surprising acquittal in August 2023 caused by a legal error in his summons, which cited unrelated malware.

A trial overshadowed by legal complications

The appeal trial was postponed twice before being rescheduled for September 2025. However, two hours into the hearing, the public prosecutor’s office challenged the composition of Bendelladj’s defense team.

Already represented by lawyers Raphaël Chiche and Jeremy Nataf, Bendelladj also followed proceedings via videoconference from Algeria with the support of lawyer Machou. A fourth lawyer, Karim Achoui—nicknamed the “underworld lawyer”—intervened, despite being disbarred in Paris and convicted in 2024 for illegal practice. The prosecutor argued that Achoui cannot legally assist or plead before French courts, further complicating the trial.

Achoui, however, insisted: “I have been his long-standing lawyer for many years. There is no decision that prevents me from intervening.”

Another lengthy postponement

Following this dispute, the Paris Court of Appeal decided to postpone the trial until January 2027, delaying the case by another 16 months.

The PyLocky ransomware case dates back to 2018, when French investigators tracked a wave of cyberattacks using emails disguised as invoices or parcel slips. Victims who clicked the malicious links unknowingly installed PyLocky via the TinyNuke Trojan. Although ten French companies were targeted, none paid the ransom.

Evidence collected, including a seized server, pointed to Bendelladj. U.S. authorities also confirmed he had access to a mobile phone while in prison, but the device was destroyed and could not be analyzed.

The repeated delays highlight the complexity of Hamza Bendelladj’s legal saga. With the case now pushed to 2027, the final judgment on the PyLocky ransomware attacks remains uncertain.