Prominent Algerian political activist and member of the Algerian Hirak movement, Karim Tabbou, was arrested this week at his home and placed in police custody, local media announced.
Tabbou was arrested multiple times throughout his activism, with his most notable arrest occurring in September 2019.
Tabbou had been convicted in March 2020 and served a one-year prison sentence for “undermining national security”, following his criticism of the government and his calls for a peaceful transition to democracy.
Last year Karim Tabbou was released after spending one year in prison in the wake of posting critical comments in social media in 2020 about the implication of the army in national politics.
Tabbou was arrested again in April 2021 after a complaint was filed against him by the president of the National Council for Human Rights. He allegedly heckled him in public during a funeral and was charged with “slander”, before being released on probation afterwards.
He was detained again in April 2022 for 24 hours for unknown reasons.
A number of human rights organisations and activists are calling for his immediate and unconditional release.
