Algeria: 5-year prison sentence for pro-democracy activist

Algerian poet Mohamed Tadjadit, a prominent activist nicknamed “poet of the Hirak”, has received a 5-year jail sentence for “condoning terrorism” and “spreading extremist ideas”, according to France 24 via AFP on 12th November.

Tadjadit became known for his pro-democracy poetry and public recitations at the height of the Hirak protests in Algeria between 2019 and 2021, which ultimately forced President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to resign after 20 years in power.

The Hirak movement was sparked by Bouteflika’s announcement that he would run for his 5th term in power, leading to mass demonstrations throughout the country. It also gave birth to a large civil movement of artists, thinkers and academics calling for real democratic change. The movement was violently suppressed by the Algerian authorities, and while the protesters obtained Bouteflika’s resignation, military elites have remained very much in charge of the country.

Tadjadit is being prosecuted with 12 other Hirak activists, with 6 of them currently in detention, and 2 others are living in exile. He has been arrested multiple times in the past 6 years and was last released in November 2024 following a presidential pardon. However, he was re-arrested in January 2025 under different charges.

Human Rights NGOs Amnesty International, Euromed Rights and others have released a joint statement calling for his immediate release, and noting that “the persecution of Tadjadit is based on his poetry and peaceful activism, making his continued imprisonment a violation of his fundamental rights.”

This condemnation highlights the issue of human rights and freedom of speech under President Abdelmajid Tebboune, who was elected in December 2019. There has been a crackdown on opposition voices in recent years, with the recent arrest of opposition leader Fethi Ghares, sentenced to 2 years in jail, and the dozens of arrests in February 2025 over online posts. Over 200 political prisoners are believed to be detained by Algerian authorities, with many of them being Hirak supporters.

France 24 with AFP, Euromed Rights, Maghrebi