FreeMuslim Association calls on Algeria to release dissident Fethi Gharas

The FreeMuslim Association, an international anti-violence organization, has called on Algerian authorities to drop judicial rulings against political dissident Fethi Gharas and his wife, Massouda Chabala, and to release them in respect of the rights to criticism and dissent enshrined in Algerian laws and the constitution.

In a statement received by the Shia Waves Agency, the organization expressed concern over the decision of the Algerian judiciary, which sentenced Gharas to one year in prison with enforcement for allegedly insulting the President of the Republic and offending state institutions.

The court also issued a six-month suspended prison sentence for his wife, Massouda Chabala.
The organization emphasized that these measures constitute a violation of political freedoms that should be guaranteed under constitutional standards. It noted that restricting freedom of expression and criticism contradicts democratic principles and human rights that governments are obliged to respect.

The statement concluded with a call for Algerian authorities to review these judicial rulings in a manner that strengthens respect for public freedoms and opposition rights, urging the protection of the right to peaceful expression and criticism as a cornerstone of democracy.