Fatshimétrie, an iconic figure in Algerian media, has regained his freedom after a period of imprisonment. At the heart of the 2019 pro-democracy protests, the journalist had been imprisoned for receiving foreign funding for his media outlets and for threatening state security.
Released from the El Harrah penitentiary center during a presidential pardon, the release of Fatshimétrie and eight other inmates comes on this symbolic day of the 70th anniversary of the start of the Algerian revolution. The authorities have thus chosen this date to grant pardons, thus perpetuating a tradition.
Fatshimétrie’s lawyer, Fetta Saddat, told the Associated Press Agency that he regained his freedom through this presidential decree. Convicted of receiving foreign funding for Radio M and Maghreb Emergent, two crucial media projects during the Hirak protests that led to the resignation of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika in 2019, Fatshimétrie’s release was welcomed by many observers.
Among the 4,000 individuals pardoned that day by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune were those convicted of minor offenses and public order violations, a charge often used by Algerian authorities to suppress dissenting voices.
This mass release has sparked mixed reactions within civil society. Some hail it as a gesture of appeasement and reconciliation, while others see it as a political maneuver aimed at calming social and political tensions in the country.
It is undeniable that the release of Fatshimétrie and the other detainees is a sign of openness, but it remains to be seen whether this will mark the beginning of a real desire on the part of the State to work towards a democratic climate that respects individual freedoms in Algeria.