On 9 August 2026, the investigating judge at the Dar El Beida Court in Algiers ordered the placement of activist Abderrezak Zitouni in pretrial detention at Kolea Prison, pending investigation. He is being prosecuted on two felony charges under Article 87 bis and two misdemeanor charges.
Zitouni was arrested on 6 August 2026, immediately upon his arrival in Algeria at Houari Boumediene International Airport on a flight from Paris. He was stopped by border police and subsequently transferred to a police station in Bab Ezzouar, where he was questioned and held in police custody for three days. He was then brought before the public prosecutor at the Dar El Beida Court, who referred him to the investigating judge. The judge subsequently ordered his placement in pretrial detention at Kolea Prison.
Abderrezak Zitouni is one of the prominent figures who participated in the Paris Hirak and has been known in recent years for his continued presence at Place de la République in Paris, where he peacefully expressed his views on the situation in Algeria, showed solidarity with detainees and highlighted their plight, while also drawing attention to political and human rights issues in the country.
His arrest immediately upon returning to Algeria comes amid continued restrictions on freedom of expression and peaceful political and civic activism, including for Algerians living abroad, and once again raises the issue of individuals facing prosecution upon returning to the country because of their views and peaceful activism.
Zitouni’s arrest upon his return also stands in contradiction with the repeated official discourse encouraging Algerians living abroad to return to their country and welcoming the Algerian diaspora. Algerians abroad cannot, on the one hand, be encouraged to return home while, on the other, the return of an activist known for peacefully expressing his views results in arrest at the airport, interrogation, and pretrial detention.
SHOAA for Human Rights stresses that freedom of expression and peaceful political and civic activism should not constitute grounds for criminalization or deprivation of liberty, and calls on the Algerian authorities to release Abderrezak Zitouni and ensure respect for his fundamental rights and freedoms.
