Algeria Cracks down on Activists in Bid to Break Protest Movement

Demonstrators chant slogans during a protest demanding the removal of the ruling elite in Algiers, Algeria July 19, 2019. (Reuters)
Demonstrators chant slogans during a protest demanding the removal of the ruling elite in Algiers, Algeria July 19, 2019. (Reuters)
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Algeria Cracks down on Activists in Bid to Break Protest Movement

Demonstrators chant slogans during a protest demanding the removal of the ruling elite in Algiers, Algeria July 19, 2019. (Reuters)
Demonstrators chant slogans during a protest demanding the removal of the ruling elite in Algiers, Algeria July 19, 2019. (Reuters)

Algeria has intensified a crackdown on an anti-government protest movement, targeting social media users in a bid to stop demonstrations resuming once coronavirus restrictions end.

Weekly protests rocked the North African country for more than a year and only stopped in March due to the novel coronavirus outbreak.

The "Hirak" protest movement caused the downfall of former president Abdelaziz Bouteflika in April 2019 after 20 years in power. It has continued demanding an overhaul of Algeria's governance system, in place since independence from France in 1962.

Authorities have made about 200 arrests linked to the protests since the country's coronavirus restrictions came into effect three months ago, according to Said Salhi, vice president of the Algerian League for the Defense of Human Rights.

"The authorities have taken advantage of the lull to arrest the maximum number of activists," he said.

Protesters are being pursued for "crimes of opinion and expression connected to posts on social media, particularly Facebook", he said, with some of their homes searched and mobile phones confiscated.

Most of the authorities' actions are based on changes to the penal code that were passed in April amid the health crisis and have been denounced by human rights activists.

'Muzzling the media'

Salhi called the moves "an irresponsible attack, verging on provocation, against fundamental human rights".

On Thursday, more than 20 opposition activists were summoned to appear in seven separate hearings, mostly in trials that had been delayed due to the pandemic.

Those accused include figures in the protest movement, political activists, journalists and people accused of mocking the regime online.

"The government doesn't believe in change, it refuses to listen to the people," lawyer Mustapha Bouchachi was quoted as saying this week in French-language daily Liberte.

"In my opinion, it is making these arrests to break the Hirak," he added.

According to detainees' rights association CNLD, 60 prisoners of conscience are currently jailed.

In a sign the government might be nervous about the public mood, several academics rushed to its defense in official media this week, accusing a "neo-Hirak" of being "in the service of a foreign plan".

But press freedom group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has called on the Algerian authorities to "stop using the justice system to muzzle the media".

"The increase in legal proceedings against Algerian journalists is extremely worrying and indicates a blatant deterioration of press freedom in Algeria," RSF director for North Africa, Souhaieb Khayati, said in a statement.

Four Algerian journalists were prosecuted or sentenced to prison this week.

Opposite impact?

The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists has also urged Algerian authorities to "stop using the COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse to clamp down on press freedom".

Some of Algeria's coronavirus lockdown measures have been gradually lifted since June 7.

But gatherings, including the weekly Hirak marches, are still strictly forbidden.

Algeria has officially reported 11,385 cases and 811 deaths from the COVID-19 illness.

Provincial areas have seen sporadic mobilizations in support of detainees in recent weeks, particularly in the northeastern Kabylie region, while Algiers has remained quiet.

Defying the restrictions, protesters across the country rallied on Friday to call for the government to step down, according to NGOs and videos shared online.

The CNLD reported about a dozen arrests were made in Kabylie's Bejaia and several more in the region's other main cities of Tizi Ouzou and Bouira.

Small numbers of protesters have also been arrested elsewhere across the country, including in the northwestern city of Oran, according to the CNLD.

An anti-government coalition within the Pact for the Democratic Alternative has urged Algerians to "stay mobilized but vigilant in order to engage forcefully in the resumption of peaceful protests" when the health situation allows.

And although there were calls on social media to restart weekly protests on Friday, activists, lawyers, student associations and political parties warned of the health risks.

But instead of crushing the unprecedented, leaderless protest movement, the crackdown could have the opposite effect.

"There is a general feeling of 'hogra'" prevailing among the population, said Salhi, using an Algerian term that refers to injustice and abuse of power.

"Some are already planning to go back to the streets" despite the coronavirus risk, he said.



Syrian Prisoners File Puts Lebanon in a Bind, Legal Frameworks Needed for Resolution

Overcrowding in prisons and delays in trials in Lebanon lead to prolonged detention in police stations. (Getty) 
Overcrowding in prisons and delays in trials in Lebanon lead to prolonged detention in police stations. (Getty) 
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Syrian Prisoners File Puts Lebanon in a Bind, Legal Frameworks Needed for Resolution

Overcrowding in prisons and delays in trials in Lebanon lead to prolonged detention in police stations. (Getty) 
Overcrowding in prisons and delays in trials in Lebanon lead to prolonged detention in police stations. (Getty) 

The issue of Syrian prisoners in Lebanese custody has once again come to the forefront, following reports suggesting dissatisfaction from Damascus over Beirut’s delay in repatriating detainees. The leaked information also hinted at potential political and economic repercussions if the matter is not resolved.

According to these reports, the Syrian administration expressed frustration over Lebanon’s alleged foot-dragging on prisoner transfers and even warned of measures such as restricting Lebanese freight movement across Syrian territory and closing border crossings.

The reports triggered a wave of confusion in Lebanon’s political circles. However, Syrian officials were quick to deny the claims, and Lebanese authorities sought to ease tensions through direct communication.

A senior Lebanese official told Asharq Al-Awsat that “swift contacts” between Beirut and Damascus confirmed the Syrian administration’s denial of the allegations.

“The issue of Syrian prisoners remains a priority for Lebanon’s political, judicial, and security institutions and is being addressed through legal channels,” the official said. He emphasized Lebanon’s readiness to cooperate in extraditing Syrian nationals, but only in accordance with established legal and regulatory frameworks.

The controversy stemmed from a report by Syria TV claiming that Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa voiced deep dissatisfaction over the matter during a meeting with Lebanon’s Grand Mufti, Sheikh Abdul Latif Daryan. The report alleged that Al-Sharaa accused Lebanese authorities of neglecting what he described as a humanitarian issue and hinted at punitive measures.

However, sources familiar with the Mufti’s visit to Damascus categorically denied that the prisoner issue was discussed. “At no point during the meeting was the topic of Syrian prisoners raised,” one source told Asharq Al-Awsat, citing the official statement from Dar al-Fatwa, which made no mention of the issue.

There are currently more than 2,000 Syrians held in Lebanese prisons, including roughly 800 facing charges related to terrorism and security offenses. Many of them have repeatedly appealed to Syrian authorities for intervention, seeking to be transferred back home to complete their legal proceedings.

A source from Lebanon’s prison administration, under the Ministry of Justice, revealed that a joint judicial-security committee had reviewed the cases of hundreds of Syrian detainees eligible for repatriation. However, the process has stalled due to legal obstacles.

“No prisoner can be handed over without a final conviction,” the source said. “Extradition is not applicable to those still on trial, particularly if the offense was committed on Lebanese soil and involved Lebanese victims.”

Lebanon and Syria have signed multiple judicial agreements, including one on the extradition of wanted individuals. However, no deal currently exists for the transfer of convicted prisoners. According to legal sources, such an agreement would require coordination between the two countries’ justice ministries and eventual ratification by the Lebanese Parliament.

If signed, the agreement could pave the way for the repatriation of up to 370 convicted Syrian nationals currently serving sentences in Lebanon.

Syrian Justice Minister Mazhar Al-Wais is expected to visit Beirut soon for talks with Lebanese officials. The Lebanese side is optimistic that the visit could yield progress toward a formal agreement on prisoner transfers. “Lebanon has a vested interest in the repatriation of these detainees - but only under lawful and transparent procedures,” the official said. “This is not something that can be handled arbitrarily by simply sending buses to prisons.”

Tensions inside Lebanon’s prison system have escalated in recent months, particularly at Roumieh Central Prison, where “Building B” houses Islamist detainees, including Syrians accused of terrorism-related offenses. The facility has seen repeated unrest, with prisoners demanding a general amnesty and improved conditions.

On February 12, more than 100 Syrian detainees launched a hunger strike that lasted two weeks. The strike ended following a visit by a delegation from the Syrian embassy, which assured detainees that Damascus would prioritize their cases.

A Justice Ministry source confirmed that communication is ongoing between the Lebanese and Syrian justice ministries. “We have expressed full readiness to cooperate on the prisoner file,” the source said. “Once all legal procedures are in place, we’re prepared to begin the process of transferring convicted Syrian nationals to their home country.”