The 117th Friday demonstration ended on Might 14 with many arrests. A dozen journalists had been arrested, 4 of whom are nonetheless being held by borderless journalists, together with Khaled Drareni, who has develop into an emblem of press freedom in Algeria. The Algerian authorities crack down exhausting, lower than a month earlier than the election to the legislature.
There have been a couple of minor Algerians on the streets and we anticipated some favoritism from the police on this second day of Eid al-Fitr. However the other has occurred. Arrests have been multiplied from Algiers to Tizi Ouzou.
A dozen journalists had been arrested by police. In accordance with Reporters With out Borders, 4 of them had been nonetheless detained on Friday evening: Kenza Khatto, Djaafar Kheloufi, Mustapha Bestami and Khaled Drareni, develop into the icon freedom of the press in Algeria within the eyes of the entire world.
It have to be stated that this 117th Hirak Friday was additionally the primary because the authorities tightened the laws on demonstrations. Any further, it’s vital to submit a request for authorization, to tell concerning the progress of the demonstration and to provide the demonstrators an identification, which is unimaginable for a in style motion like Hirak, which doesn’t have actual leaders.
With this elevated repression, the authorities’ message is evident, we imagine within the RSF: they wish to put an finish to this protest motion and particularly the report made by journalists, lower than a month earlier than the legislative election, scheduled for 12 June.
# Algeria: authorities proceed to ship a transparent sign to those that wish to cowl #Hirak. Eight arrested journalists, a few of them twice immediately, had been taken to Bab El Oued police station. 12 others are blocked and banned from protecting the demo.
– RSF_Afrique-du-Nord (@RSF_NordAfrique) 14 Might 2021.
