The French film star Isabelle Adjani has boycotted a state dinner honoring the Algerian president, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, because of what she said were continuing human rights abuses in the country.

In an interview published yesterday in Libération, Adjani, whose father was Algerian, said she turned down the invitation because she refused to be an "accomplice" and accused Mr Bouteflika of trying to forget atrocities.

"There's still no justice worthy of that name in Algeria and 10,000 people are still missing," she said. "The government says the guilty parties have been killed or cannot be found, and whole families are attending sham trials. Meanwhile, Mr Bouteflika is in Paris receiving the highest honours."

It is not the first time the star of films such as La Reine Margot and Camille Claudel has spoken out about human rights.

In a 1998 visit to Algeria, she attacked officials who had, she claimed, perpetuated the atrocities they suffered under French colonial rule.