On 6 September 2026, a judge at the M’Chedallah Court in Bouira Province ordered the pretrial detention of Nadia Moussaoui, a Tamazight teacher known on social media as “Tamazight Moussaoui,” following her appearance under expedited trial procedures. She is being prosecuted under Article 296 of the Electoral Law over a Facebook post in which she commented on the results of the legislative elections held on 2 July 2026.
Moussaoui is known for her work teaching and promoting the Tamazight language. She shares lessons and educational materials online and organizes meetings and discussions dedicated to learning and raising awareness of the language.
During her hearing before the M’Chedallah Court on Wednesday, 16 September 2026, the prosecution requested a two-year prison sentence. The court reserved its judgment until Tuesday, 22 September 2026, while Moussaoui remained in pretrial detention.
Moussaoui’s prosecution is among cases involving the expression of views on elections and public affairs through social media, amid the continued use of pretrial detention in cases concerning content published online.
SHOAA for Human Rights maintains that the peaceful expression of opinions and positions on elections and public affairs should not lead to imprisonment. The organization calls for Nadia Moussaoui’s release, respect for her right to freedom of opinion and expression, and an end to the criminalization of peaceful expression online.
