Algeria places pro-democracy activists in pre-trial detention

Eight Algerian pro-democracy activists have been placed in pre-trial detention, with six others released under judicial supervision, AFP reports citing one of their lawyers. The activists were arrested between July 8 and 15 in Bejaia, and are connected to the Hirak protest movement which helped topple President Abdelaziz Bouteflika in 2019 after two decades in power.

Among the detained is a man recently released after three years imprisonment over ties to pro-democracy protests. Local media reported the group was being prosecuted under a 2021 law related to "terrorism." The UN and Amnesty International have criticized Algeria's increasing repression, urging legal reforms and the release of detained activists. The National Committee for the Release of Detainees reports that dozens are still imprisoned due to their links to Hirak or human rights activism. Algeria is preparing for presidential elections on September 7, with incumbent President Abdelmadjid Tebboune as the frontrunner.