that denounced the alleged sexual abuse of a months’ imprisonment and a fine for boy in police custody. In July, authorities “harming the national interest” and arrested and provisionally detained Fethi “incitement to unarmed gathering”. Ghares, leader of the Social and Democratic Authorities cracked down on associations Movement (MDS), for publicly criticizing the and political parties who they perceived as authorities during a press conference at the organizing activities that did not conform with party’s headquarters. the law. In May, the interior ministry In May, the High Council of Magistracy announced that only authorized protests were dismissed Sadedin Merzoug, a judge and a allowed. Hundreds of peaceful protesters founder of the Club of Algerian Magistrates, were arrested and detained during the year.4 for expressing support for Hirak and In April, the interior ministry asked the democracy. Administrative Tribunal to suspend two Authorities arbitrarily arrested at least three political parties, the Socialist Workers Party journalists for their work and prosecuted and the Union for Change and Progress. them on charges related to their reporting. On 13 October, the Administrative Tribunal They also closed two TV channels on dissolved the Youth Action Rally (RAJ) security-related grounds and suspended two association. other channels for a week because of TORTURE AND OTHER ILL-TREATMENT programmes they broadcast. In May, a tribunal in Algiers sentenced journalist Kenza Police continued to ill-treat activists and Khatto from Radio M to a three-month peaceful protesters during protests and in suspended prison term for covering a protest. custody.5 In September, the Appeal Court in Algiers On 26 March, in El Bayadh city in west postponed the appeal of journalist Khaled Algeria, police arrested Hirak activist Ayoub Drareni to 2 December, to rule on his two- Chahetou and raped him in custody by year prison sentence for covering Hirak inserting a finger into his anus, according to protests. his testimony. A judge refused to hear his In October, a tribunal in Tamanrasset city in testimony. Chahetou was sentenced ̶ on the south sentenced on appeal journalist appeal ̶ to six months in prison, of which Rabah Karèche to a year in prison with six two months were suspended. months suspended for “harming national FREEDOM OF RELIGION AND BELIEF security” and “spreading false news”. FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION AND Authorities used Decree 03-06 of 2006, ASSEMBLY which restricts the exercise of religions other than Islam, and the Penal Code to prosecute Hirak protests, which halted in 2020 due to or convict at least 11 individuals for Covid-19, resumed in February on a sporadic “exercising cults other than Islam” or basis, with the authorities at times arresting, “insulting” Islam. prosecuting and detaining peaceful In February, a court in Oran city sentenced protesters. In May, a court in Algiers ordered on appeal Rachid Seighir, a Christian pastor the pretrial detention of peaceful protesters and owner of a bookshop, and Nouah Fatima Boudouda and Moufida Kharchi in Hamimi, who worked in the bookshop, each connection with a demonstration on 21 May to one year in prison and a fine for material in Algiers, pending investigation on charges that was in the shop. The two men were of “incitement to unarmed gathering” and awaiting a ruling by the Supreme Court. “conspiracy against the state”. They were still In April, a tribunal in Algiers convicted detained at the end of the year. Islamic scholar Said Djabelkheir to three In November, a court in Algiers sentenced years in prison for “offending” Islam in online Nacer Meghnine, president of the cultural posts that, among other things, referred to association SOS Bab El-Oued, to eight some texts in the Qur’an as myths. On 4 May, Amnesty International Report 2021/22 70