Algeria releases leftist opposition figure under judicial supervision

Algerian opposition figure Fethi Ghares and his wife have been released under judicial supervision pending an investigation into his alleged insulting of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and other charges, AFP reports. Ghares, a secular leftist and vocal critic of the government, was charged with insulting the president and using social media to spread false news and hate speech, his lawyer told AFP. Ghares’s wife, Messaouda Cheballah, faces related charges as an accomplice. The couple must report to the court biweekly and are barred from social media or talking to the media.

Ghares, who led the now-banned Democratic and Social Movement party, was arrested Tuesday at his home in Algiers. He was imprisoned in 2021 on similar charges and was a prominent supporter of the Hirak movement that ousted President Abdelaziz Bouteflika in 2019. This legal action comes shortly before the September elections, and reflects the government’s ongoing crackdown on political dissent.