U.S. Embassy tells Algerian regime freedoms of press & expression, top U.S. priorities

The U.S. embassy in Algeria has reacted to the sentencing of Algerian journalist Ihsane El Kadi to five years in prison, with two years suspended, for bogus charges to muzzle vocal critics of the ruling military junta.

Immediately after the announcement of the verdict over the weekend by an Algerian court, the U.S. diplomatic mission said: “Freedom of expression is an UN-recognized fundamental right”, showing U.S. anger over the continuing attack by the Algerian authorities of independent and critical voices.

“The Biden Administration has and will continue to make clear that freedom of the press and freedom of expression are U.S. priorities worldwide, including in Algeria,” underlined the U.S. embassy in its twitter account.

Ihsane El-Kadi was arrested on Dec. 23 at his home in Algiers. He was accused of receiving foreign funding for his media outlets. He was ordered to pay a fine of $5,200. His media company and radio station were closed, its assets seized and imposed a $7,390 fine.

El Kadi’s lawyers had denied the foreign funding charges and any wrongdoing. His arrest had been decried by human rights and media organizations. They say his imprisonment is part of a campaign of intimidation and harassment targeting people and organizations supportive of the Hirak reform movement.

Repression in Algeria has intensified since Abdelmadjid Tebboune came to power in a 2019 election that was boycotted by millions of voters. There are now thousands of “prisoners of opinion” behind bars, the vast majority connected to the Hirak movement. Activists have also reported forced disappearances of prominent members of the reform movement.

Algeria is ranked 134th out of 180 countries in RSF’s 2022 World Press Freedom Index.