Human Rights Watch Official Expelled from Algeria After Attending Protest

Several charges have been brought against the former Moroccan journalist, currently Director of Communication for the Maghreb and the Middle East of the American organization, Human Rights Watch. According to Hespress, his participation in a popular demonstration that takes place every Friday (Hirak 26th Friday) was not to the liking of the Algerian authorities, who also blame him for having contacted Algerian journalists.

As a result, Ahmed Reda Benchemsi is accused of having exceeded his prerogatives as a visitor in Algeria. Moreover, the Algerian media also stressed that he was not "officially authorized to act within the framework of the activities of Human Rights Watch". He was also accused of having participated in an infiltration operation "within the framework of a foreign agenda aimed at infiltrating the said movement (hirak)".

The treatment inflicted on the Moroccan journalist was not to the liking of Human Rights Watch (HRW), which had raised its voice, denouncing the deprivation of liberty he suffered for about ten days "without any particular reason". Indeed, Reda Benchemsi was arrested on August 9 and placed under judicial supervision, under house arrest at his hotel in Algiers with a ban on leaving the territory. In addition, the police and judicial authorities had confiscated his passport, his computer, his smartphone and everything that could link him to the outside world, the same source points out.