International Lawyers Coalition of Journalist Ihsaneh El Ghady

The Algerian journalist, Ihsaneh El-Gadi, was arrested on the night of December 24, 2022 and taken into police custody, and can now rely on a team of international lawyers for his protection.

The coalition, made up of lawyers from Morocco, Tunisia, Mauritania, Belgium and France, demanded no more or less the immediate release of the journalist and the removal of the media seals issued by Radio M and Maghreb Emergent. , “This is a fine for more than thirty employees and their families”.

Saying they are committed to defending Ihsane El Ghadi “together with our Algerian colleagues and colleagues, before the Algerian courts and international organizations,” the joint lawyers launch an appeal to “all international human rights organizations, civil society and lawyers for the unconditional release of Ihsane El Ghadi and all victims of the dictatorship.” To support and demand”.

Recalling that Ihsaneh El Ghadi has been in custody since his arrest in December, he was accused by Internal Security of “engaging in acts that undermine the security of the state and its stability”.

“After five days in police custody, although he presented all necessary guarantees, he was placed in pre-trial detention at El Harag prison in Algiers on December 29, 2022,” it said, “on January.” 15, 2023, the Indictment Chamber at the Algiers Court rejected a request for the release of Ihsane El Gadi submitted by his lawyers, who had not announced a trial date, in violation of Algerian criminal law. Practice and Internal and International Standards Relating to the Right to a Fair Trial”.

It should be noted that El Ghadi has been prosecuted under Articles 95, 95 bis and 96 of the Penal Code relating to “receiving funds from a foreign source for political campaign purposes”, “receiving funds and benefiting organizations”. Persons within the country and abroad and collection of donations without authorization’ with the intention of committing acts which may undermine the security and stability of the State, national integrity and ‘territorial integrity’ and ‘publicity of content harmful to the national interest’.

“These actions are the fourth case against journalist Ihsane El Ghadi in the last two years,” he argues.

“Besides his presumption of innocence, he should benefit from all the guarantees of a fair trial provided for in internal texts and international conventions, in his capacity as a journalist, not in pre-trial detention. His case is fair, and has all the necessary guarantees of representation,” the joint said.

The Moroccan party is represented by Mee Saud Brahma, lawyer at the bar of Casablanca, defender of many prisoners of conscience and defender of prisoners of conscience in Rif Hirag, former president Rabat bar lawyer Mee Abdarahim Jama, member of the group of defense lawyers for Hirag prisoners in Rif, and Mee Mohamed Sadko, lawyer at Rabat bar and defender of prisoners of conscience.