Summary: Algerian authorities unleash a campaign against rainbow symbols; the Algerian LGBTQ+ community continues to be subjected to discrimination, abuse and sometimes violence.
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Might the LGBT flag’s similarity to the three colour bands in the emblem and flag of prominent nationalist Berber communities also have something to do with Algerian sensitivity on this matter?
Further to today’s newsletter, the Editor notes the continued detention of the prominent Algerian journalist Ihsane El Kadi. He was arrested on 24 December. Amnesty International has called for his release. The offices of his online media outlets Radio M and Maghreb Emergent were raided the same day and the sites closed down.
On 25 December El Kadi was sentenced to six months in jail and a fine for “publishing false information” related to an article he had written in defence of an unregistered political group that is part of the Hirak protest movement.
On 15 January, after the journalist had been held for more than three weeks, the judge presiding over an appeal hearing ordered his further pre-trial detention. The hearing was moved ahead from 18 January with no notification and his defence team were therefore not present at the hearing.
Amnesty noted in its press release:
A member of El Kadi’s family, who has asked to remain anonymous, told Amnesty that security officers did not produce a warrant before his arrest or inform him of any allegations against him. Security officers then held El Kadi for five days, and he was interrogated about his publications in the Antar barracks in Algiers, which are under the supervision of the General Directorate of Interior Security.
The prosecution of El Kadi comes after numerous recent cases of harassment, intimidation and unlawful imprisonment of journalists in Algeria. Over the past year the authorities have arrested, summoned or convicted at least 11 other journalists.
Amna Guellali, Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Deputy Director, said:
“El Kadi’s unjustified detention by the Algerian authorities is a grave injustice compounded by the violation of his fair trial rights.
“The fact that El Kadi’s pre-trial detention has been renewed without the presence of his defence team, and that the court did not inform them of the change in hearing date, is a blatant disregard for his right to a fair trial.
Guellali called for El Kadi’s immediate release and the reopening of his media outlets.