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As expected, the European Parliament adopted on Thursday, November 26, an emergency resolution denouncing the deterioration of freedoms in Algeria. This approval follows the debate that the European body addressed, Thursday, and which was devoted to the same theme. An overwhelming majority of MEPs voted in favor of the text: 699 for and only three votes against.
The parliamentarians «strongly condemn the escalation of illegal and arbitrary arrests, detentions, and legal harassment of journalists, human rights defenders, trade unionists, lawyers, members of civil society and peaceful activists in Algeria», read a document accessed by Yabiladi.
The resolution «calls on the Algerian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Mohamed Khaled Drareni and all those who have been detained and charged for exercising their right to freedom of expression, whether online or offline, and to freedom of assembly and association, including Yacine Mebarki, Abdellah Benaoum, Mohamed Tadjadit, Abeldhamid Amine, Abdelkrim Zeghileche, Walid Kechida, Brahim Laalami, Aissa Chouha, Zoheir Kaddam, Walid Nekkiche, Nourredine Khimoud and Hakim Addad».
Inability to determine a plot of the «Zionist lobbyist on Morocco's payroll»
MEPs «support the request of Michelle Bachelet, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, for the urgent release, in view of the Covid-19 pandemic, of all political prisoners and any person detained for expressing a dissenting opinion». They call on the Algerian authorities to «release the media and put an end to any arrest or detention of political activists, journalists, human rights defenders or people who express a dissenting or critical opinion towards the government».
The text underlines that «the current political transition must guarantee the right of all Algerians, regardless of their gender, their geographical or ethnic origin and their socioeconomic status, including Amazighs, to participate fully in the democratic process and exercise their rights».
The resolution deplored «the amendment of the Algerian penal code in April 2020 which restricts freedom of the press, freedom of expression and freedom of association (…) in order to put an end to the criminalization of freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association».
For the record, the European Parliament had already voted, in November 2019, a resolution condemning the deterioration of human rights in Algeria. The decision was described by the late chief of armed forces General Gaid Salah as «interference» in the internal affairs of his country. In an address to an audience of soldiers, he stressed that «the people do not accept any interference or diktat and will not submit to any negotiation on the part of anyone».
El Guerguerate precipitated the creation of an NGO by pro-Polisario Algerian journalists
Thursday's resolution garnered almost unanimity among MEPs, even members of the United Left/Nordic Green group, who traditionally coordinate actions in favor of the Polisario in the European Parliament with Algerians.
Under these conditions Algerian press agency APS will have difficulty accusing the 699 parliamentarians who approved the text of all being members of the «Zionist lobby on Morocco's payroll» in the European Parliament. As was the case last May when a group of MEPs asked the EU, in a letter to Josep Borrell, to focus on the situation of press freedom in Algeria and the atrocities committed in Algeria against journalists.
As a response, the official press agency wrote that «the Makhzen's alliance with Zionist circles works to prevent Algeria from finding the paths of stability, order, rights, freedom and growth».
