Algeria: Opposition leader Fethi Ghares arrested a few days before the presidential election

Algeria: Opposition leader Fethi Ghares arrested a few days before the presidential election

ByThe Mwebantu Team

On August 27, 2024, Algerian authorities arrested Fethi Ghares, a well-known political opponent who had been convicted and imprisoned in the past, according to statements by his wife and the National Committee for the Liberation of Prisoners (CNLD).

Less than ten days before the presidential election scheduled for September 7, 2024, in which President Abdelmadjid Tebboune is running for a second term, this arrest was announced by Fethi Ghares’ wife on social media. She accuses the authorities of having “removed” her husband, information corroborated by the CNLD.

Fethi Ghares, 49, is a secular left-wing activist who was involved in the popular Hirak movement in 2019, calling for a radical change of the ruling regime. In 2021, he was convicted and imprisoned for six months before being released in March 2022.

In addition, he was then accused of“attack on the person of the President of the Republic” Abdelmadjid Tebboune, from“insult to a constituted body” and of “dissemination of information likely to harm national unity” and to “public order”His left-wing movement, the MDS, heir to the Algerian Communist Party, was banned in February 2023.

The Mwebantu Team
The Mwebantu Team

Led by Nia, the insightful editor-in-chief, Kwame, our technology expert, and Amara, the bold field reporter, the Mwebantu team weaves the vibrant narrative of Africa every day, forging a narrative bridge between the continent and the world. Their shared passion illuminates the mission of Mwebantu News, making African voices resonate on the global stage.