Algeria: demonstration in Paris to demand the release of journalist Khaled Drareni

Algerian journalist Khaled Drareni carried by the crowd on March 6, 2020, during an anti-government demonstration.

RYAD KRAMDI / AFP

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3 min

The director of the Casbah Tribune news site, correspondent for TV5 Monde and RSF, has been detained in Algeria since the end of March.

He had been arrested after covering a demonstration of the popular uprising known as “Hirak”.

Almost a month ago, he was sentenced to three years in prison for inciting assembly and undermining national unity.

His appeal trial opens Tuesday.

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In front of the Algerian embassy in Paris, French television journalists gathered on Monday morning.

"Free Khaled"

, in English " 

Free Khaled

 ".

The message, preceded by a hashtag, is displayed on a photo of the journalist.

The sign is in the hands of Christophe Deloire.

For the secretary general of Reporters Without Borders, the accusations against Khaled Drareni do not hold up, and the Algerian authorities try through him to intimidate the entire profession: " 

Because he is a brilliant journalist, he is a journalist. responsible, he is charismatic, he is popular, he symbolizes the freedom of the spirit.

And that is what he was made to pay, and that is why the Algerian authorities wanted to make him an example.

 "



Around Christophe Deloire, a dozen French journalists, well-known faces from various national television channels, came, too, the cause of their Algerian colleague.

Among them, Laurent Delahousse, one of the presenters of the 20 hours newspaper of France 2: “ 

Today, he is obviously a symbol, a symbol of many other journalists who could be the subject of pressure, such as it is already the case.

He just did his job, we are lucky to be able to do it freely today.

He is accused of calling into question national unity when he is only conveying a movement that has rarely been so powerful and so unitary.

 "



Since the conviction of Khaled Drareni, an international support campaign and appeal for his release was launched.

Mobilizations were organized in several cities: in Tunis, for example, this morning, but also in New York, and of course in Algiers.

A petition launched in Algeria has collected around 2,000 signatures from journalists and civil society figures.

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France: mobilization for the release of Algerian journalist Khaled Drareni