Algeria: opposition figure Fethi Ghares and wife released
With Algeria’s September 7th elections just around the corner, observers in the country and around the world are watching closely at a case that may threaten Tebboune’s chance for securing a second term.
An Algerian court released prominent opposition figure Fethi Ghares and his wife, who are now under judicial supervision as the couple await further investigation, reported by AFP and agencies on August 30th.
Ghares, a leading figure in the secular leftist and banned Democratic and Social Movement (MDS), was detained along with his wife earlier this month. The arrests gained significant attention from Algeria’s political circles and press.
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The charges levelled at Ghares include “insulting the President of the Republic”, “incitement to unarmed gathering”, and “publication of information that could harm national unity”, according to his lawyer, Abdelghani Badi.
The conditions of the release allow Ghares and his wife to return home, but both must remain available to the authorities as the investigation is carried out. Judicial supervision also means that the couple will face restrictions on their movements and communications.
Badi noted that the couple must “report to the court every 15 days” pending a trial date.
Human rights activists and opposition groups have labelled the arrests as politically motivated and part of a broader crackdown on dissent in Algeria. Other opposition parties have joined the MDS in urging the government to drop the charges and maintain respect for freedom of speech and political expression.
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Incumbent President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has faced mounting criticism in recent months over his handling of political opposition, the press, and civil liberties.
Ghares, 49, was also arrested in 2021 and sentenced to two years in prison for similar charges, which included “harming the person of the president of the republic” and disrupting public order through the spreading of misinformation. The opposition figure was later released in March 2022 after an appeal.
Ghares joined the pro-democracy Hirak movement in 2019, which eventually overthrew veteran President Abdelaziz Bouteflika from power.
AFP / Arab Weekly and agencies
