Former FRANCE 24 correspondent Moncef Aït Kaci, technician Ramdane Rahmouni released in Algeria
Issued on:
Moncef Aït Kaci, who was until recently FRANCE 24’s correspondent in Algeria, and technician Ramdane Rahmouni were released on Wednesday after having been detained the previous evening.
Aït Kaci’s lawyer said earlier that he was unable to provide details on the charges or the reasons for the arrest. He added that Aït Kaci did have a problem with his press accreditation from the Algerian authorities.
Aït Kaci and Rahmouni worked together on FRANCE 24’s July 4 interview with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
Their detention sparked swift calls for their release from FRANCE 24 management as well as from press freedom groups and Algerian journalists on social media.
In a Twitter post in French, Paris-based NGO Reporters Without Borders said it was “deeply concerned about the increased suppression of press freedom in Algeria”, warning that the Algerian authorities “are sinking into a spiral of repression, where new arbitrary measures serve to mask earlier ones".
#Algérie @Rsf_inter dénonce la mise en détention provisoire de @Moncefaitkaci collaborateur de @FRANCE24. Poursuivi depuis novembre 2019, il est accusé de nuire à l'intérêt national, de financements étrangers et de collaboration sans accréditation avec une chaîne de télévision
— RSF_Afrique-du-Nord (@RSF_NordAfrique) July 28, 2020
In a statement released earlier on Wednesday, the management of France Médias Monde – the parent company of FRANCE 24 and Radio France Internationale – said they had been “working tirelessly" throughout the night to obtain the release of the two journalists.
“We obviously extend our full support to our colleagues who have been unjustly arrested,” said the statement, adding that the French foreign ministry had been alerted.
This article is a translation of the original in French.
Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning
Subscribe