A court in the Algerian capital ordered on Thursday the imprisonment of the coordinator of the Democratic and Social Movement Party, Fathi Gharras, after his arrest on Wednesday. He faces five charges, including "insulting the President of the Republic," according to information provided by his wife, who is also an activist in the same party.
The national coordinator of the Democratic and Social Movement (a leftist party), Fathi Gharras, was arrested on Wednesday at his home, which the prosecution ordered to be searched. His wife, Massouda Chaballah, posted on Facebook that "five charges were brought against Fathi Gharras and he was placed in temporary detention."
She noted that the charges include misdemeanors such as "presenting to the public publications that may harm national interest," "publishing materials that may affect national unity," "disseminating content that may undermine public order," "insulting a regulatory body," and "insulting the President of the Republic."
She commented on her husband's imprisonment, stating it represents "the criminalization of political work in the new Algeria."
Fathi Gharras, 47, belongs to the secular left opposition and is considered a successor to the Algerian Communist Party during French colonization, as well as the Progressive Socialist Party, which operated clandestinely until the one-party system was abolished in 1989.
The Algerian League for the Defense of Human Rights condemned "the imprisonment of a party leader due to his opinions," calling for "an end to repression and the release of all political prisoners."
