Jailed Algeria media mogul gets presidential pardon

Algerian media mogul Ihsane El Kadi was released Friday under a presidential pardon, marking the 70th anniversary of Algeria's independence war with France, his lawyers confirmed. Several Hirak pro-democracy activists also received pardons. El Kadi, 65, head of Interface Medias, which runs Maghreb Emergent and Radio M, was serving a seven-year sentence since June 2023 for alleged "foreign financing." His lawyer Noureddine Ahmine celebrated on Facebook, sharing a photo of El Kadi reunited with family.