The Algerian journalist and director and founder of the electronic sites Radio M and Maghreb Émergent, Ihsane El Kadi, was arrested on Friday evening in Zemmouri (east of Algiers), by the Algerian security services, local media reported.
“Six plainclothes agents showed up at the journalist’s second home in Zemmouri (Boumerdes) and asked him to follow them,” said Radio M, quoting the family of Ihsane El Kadi.
The headquarters of Interface Médias, the publishing company of the two titles, located in Algiers-centre, was raided this Saturday followingnoon by the security services, noted the same source, reporting the seizure of computer equipment and filming.
Ihsane El Kadi was sentenced at first instance last June to six months in prison, following a complaint by the former Algerian Minister of Communication, Ammar Belhimer, because of an article published on Radio M. On December 18, during his appeal to the Court of Algiers, the prosecution requested the aggravation of the sentence.
In a press release, the Board of Directors of Radio M denounced the “unjustified harassment that our media platform has suffered for three years, which has no basis other than that of preventing the free exercise of the profession of informing”.
For its part, Riposte Internationale strongly condemned the judicial harassment of journalist El Kadi Ihsane, demanding an end to this harassment once morest citizens concerned regarding the future of their country”.
