Abdelkader Ghazi was born on October 9, 1955 (aged 68) in Bechar (south-west). Father of seven, paraplegic and suffering from heart disease and high blood pressure, he is known as a staunch defender of human rights and citizenship. Despite living in a remote region, Abdelkader supports all just causes for development and social justice throughout the country.
In the 2000s, Abdelkader Ghazi became involved in several citizen movements and actions. In 2013, he joined the Comité de défense des droits des chômeurs, then took part in mobilizations against shale gas exploitation in the South. He was also one of the founders of the Front de refus politique opposed to President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s fourth term in office in 2014. All these commitments have earned him numerous arrests and prosecutions.
Like millions of Algerians, Abdelkader Ghazi joined the Hirak in 2019. In his wheelchair, always carrying the national flag, he was one of the leaders of the demonstrations in Bechar on February 22. According to those close to him, he didn’t want to miss any of the Friday demonstrations despite the repression and harassment to which he was subjected.
On November 23, 2022, Abdelkader Ghazi was arrested by the Bechar police and then questioned about his Facebook posts and political opinions by the Judicial Police’s Cybercrime Squad. The Bechar court ordered his remand in custody on charges of supporting and belonging to a terrorist entity (Mouvement Rachad), an organization classified as “terrorist” by the Algerian authorities since May 2021. His case has been referred to the Bechar Criminal Court, and he will stand trial on April 30, 2024.
Abdelkader Ghazi has been held for 16 months in Bechar prison despite his fragile health.
