May 08, 2025
Photo courtesy of MRG.
Press release - World Press Freedom Day
On World Press Freedom Day, an important occasion to remind governments of their obligations to ensure a free, independent and transparent press, it is essential to denounce the ongoing authoritarian excesses that threaten freedom of expression in many countries.
Governments continue to suppress critical voices, relying on overbroad laws, arbitrary judicial proceedings and systematic censorship. Algeria regrettably exemplifies this trend.
In 2019, millions of Algerians peacefully took to the streets, demanding a democratic transition. This “movement”, known as the “Hirak”, held high hopes for a profound reform of the system and a “free and democratic Algeria”.
However, five years later, the Algerian authorities continue to respond to this popular momentum with severe repression, using their entire security, judicial and media arsenal to restrict civil space, intimidate critical voices, and maintain the authoritarian status quo.
Algerian citizens, activists, journalists and writers face a widespread climate of repression. Charges such as “threatening national security”, “undermining national unity”, and “terrorism” are frequently used to criminalise the expression of dissenting views. Intimidation of activists is on the rise, with direct threats, arbitrary arrests, and organised smear campaigns designed to deter any form of dissent. According to the Algerian activist Zakaria Hanash, there are currently 243 prisoners of conscience in Algeria.
Algerian authorities have also strengthened their control over information through new laws. The Media Law of August 29, 2023 is a clear example of this. The law severely restricts press freedom by prohibiting any foreign entities from holding shares in media outlets and by imposing strict conditions on the practice of journalism. The Penal Code, particularly Articles 96, 144, 144 bis, 144 bis 2, 146, 296 and 298, continues to be used to prosecute any dissenting voice. Journalists have also been accused of receiving foreign funding "to commit acts that undermine public order and the stability of Algeria" under Article 95 bis of the Penal Code, and for ‘spreading false news’ under Article 196 bis.
On November 16, 2024, writer Boualem Sansal, known for his critical positions of the Algerian authorities, was arrested upon his return from Paris. He was sentenced to five years in prison on charges of ‘undermining national unity’, ‘insulting a statutory body’, ‘engaging in practices that harm the national economy’ and ‘possessing publications that threaten national security and stability’, in relation to his statements regarding the border between Algeria and Morocco, made during an interview with the right-wing French magazine Frontières. His hasty and non-transparent trial took place in the context of a wider crackdown on freedom of expression, amid growing tensions between France and Algeria.
On January 20, 2025, an Algerian court handed down a five-year prison sentence against Hirak activist and poet Mohamed Tadjadit. This was only 4 days after his arrest, following hasty judicial proceedings and without guarantees of a fair trial. Tadjadit was convicted on vague charges related to his social media posts and private conversations in which he criticised the political, economic and social conditions in the country. The case has been postponed for a hearing on May 8, 2025.
Access to independent media is regularly restricted, denying citizens their right to access diversely sourced and objective information. In early 2023, the authorities shut down Radio M and Maghreb Émergent, two of the last remaining independent media outlets in the country.
In the face of this alarming situation, the undersigned organisations call on the Algerian authorities to:
- Immediately and unconditionally release all journalists, writers, activists and defenders arbitrarily detained in Algeria, and stop the cross-border repression targeting those living abroad.
- End the instrumental use of the current legal arsenal to suppress freedom of expression.
- Adopt national legislation that guarantees the protection of journalists and the free exercise of their profession.
- Respect Algeria's international human rights obligations, especially with regard to freedom of expression and opinion.
Signatory organisations:
- EuroMed Rights
- Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies
- International Federation for Human Rights within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders
- IBTYKAR
- Algerian League for the Defense of Human Rights (LADDH)
- Coalition of Families of the Disappeared in Algeria
- Hurriyat Algeria
- MENA Rights Group
- World Organization Against Torture within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders
- Repost International
- International Service for Human Rights
