Algeria releases Hirak detainees for 59th anniversary of independence
Hirak demonstrators march in Algiers on April 9, 2021 (photo illustration).
REUTERS - RAMZI BOUDINA
Text by: RFI Follow
2 min
Algeria is celebrating, this Monday, July 5, the 59th anniversary of its independence.
On this occasion, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune ordered the release of young detainees from Hirak on Sunday, without specifying the number.
In a speech to the nation, the Algerian President also congratulated himself on the successful holding of the legislative elections on June 12.
However, the vote was marked by a high rate of abstention.
Three out of four voters did not go to vote.
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For the Algerian president, the legislative elections are "
a decisive step
for the overall recovery of the country
".
In his speech, he considers that the ballot allows "
the restoration of the confidence and the credibility of the institutions of the State
" and to better face the "
multiple challenges on the economic and social planes
".
However, the legislative elections were boycotted by Hirak militants as well as by part of the opposition and the turnout, of only 23%, is the lowest in Algeria's electoral history.
But despite everything, Abdelmadjid Tebboune seems determined to continue his policy.
"
Respect for the commitments we have made and on the basis of which we have established a program and priorities, will continue to guide our steps resolutely towards the expected objectives
", he added.
At the same time, 18 Hirak prisoners were released on Sunday and "
the operation continues for others
", according to a press release from the Ministry of Justice.
An announcement in trompe l'oeil and deemed insufficient by the League for the Defense of Human Rights, contacted by RFI.
She recalls that the repression is accelerating and that arrests continue in the country.
Currently, more than 300 people are in prison in connection with Hirak or individual freedoms, according to the National Committee for the Liberation of Prisoners (CNLD), a support association.
►Also read: Algeria, the long road to independence
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Algeria
Abdelmadjid Tebboune