Algeria rejects Parliament's resolution as "interference"
The President of the Algerian General Assembly, Salah Goudjil, has responded to the European Parliament's recent resolution on the press freedom situation in the North African country. The Parliament's ruling, adopted with 536 votes in favour, 4 against and 19 abstentions, urges Algiers to immediately release journalist Ihsane El-Kadi and all citizens detained for exercising their right to freedom of expression. El-Kadi was arrested at the end of December 2022 and sentenced in April to five years in prison on charges of "political propaganda" and "undermining state security".
The European Parliament also recalled journalist Mustapha Bendjama, editor-in-chief of the website Le Provincial, who was arrested last February. Before arresting him, the authorities raided his office and confiscated his phone and computer, linking him to the case of Amira Bouraoui, a French-Algerian citizen who illegally entered Tunisia to escape the growing repression of Algerian activists linked to Hirak.
Human rights breaches in Algeria, Belarus and Myanmar
— EP PressService (@EuroParlPress) May 11, 2023
On Thursday, the European Parliament adopted three resolutions on the respect for human rights in 🇩🇿Algeria, 🇧🇾Belarus and 🇲🇲Myanmar.
Details ⤵️https://t.co/6j8wnDIa1t
In this regard, Goudjil rejected the European resolution, stressing that no country can give lessons to Algeria and warning that they will not remain silent in the face of the European Parliament's decision. "No country can dictate orders to Algeria," Goudjil said during a session of the General Assembly. The Algerian politician also accused the European Parliament of "blatantly interfering" in Algeria's internal affairs. This has been echoed by several political parties in the country, calling the resolution "blatant interference in the affairs of a sovereign state", and accusing MEPs of "double standards".
It is not the first time that Parliament or other international bodies have spoken out against repression and censorship in Algeria. Last February, UN human rights ombudsman and Special Rapporteur Mary Lawlor expressed her concern about the escalation of repression and censorship by the Algerian authorities. That month, Algiers dissolved the Algerian League for the Defence of Human Rights (LADDH), an NGO close to Hirak, highlighting the rising tide of oppression of the Algerian people.
#Algérie 📢 pétition pour la libération du journaliste Mustapha Bendjama ainsi que celle de tous les journalistes incarcérés et les détenus d'opinion.📌pour signer Envoyer nom prénom profession à l'adresse mail: soli.j.dz@gmail.com pic.twitter.com/LsygiMlnoj
— said SALHI (@saidsalhi527) May 10, 2023
However, it is not only NGOs that are silenced in Algeria. Independent media and journalists, such as El-Kadi or Bendjama, are also targeted by the authorities.
Activists and analysts have warned about the situation in Algeria, urging European countries to put pressure on the Tebboune government to respect human rights and freedoms. However, with Russia's invasion of Ukraine, many European nations such as Italy and France have looked to Algeria, which is positioning itself as a new energy ally. Despite the importance of Algerian gas, French and Italian MEPs voted in favour of the recent resolution.
