Spain to extradite 2 ‘militants’ to Algeria

The Spanish Council of Ministers has granted Algeria its request to extradite two Mozabite “militants” accused of terrorism by Algiers.

The two Algerians, Salah Abbouna and Khodhir Sekkouti, have been detained since July 2016 in the Spanish enclave of Melilla in Morocco for having participated in “activities against the Algerian government and  published explicit invitations to commit violence and actions against state security and national unity” on social networking sites between 2013 and 2016.

Abbouna and Sekkouti had been exiled to Morocco in October and November 2015 respectively and thereafter subjected to international arrest warrants and then arrested in July 2016 by Spanish authorities in Melilla where they intended to seek political asylum.

The men have been accused by Algerian authorities of terrorism but are seen by their defenders as activists for a number of Berber groups fighting for the autonomy of the Berbers in Algeria including the Movement for the Autonomy of the Mzab (MAM), the Amazigh World Assembly (AMA) and the Amazigh World Congress (CMA).

MAM said in a statement that the arrest warrants were “based on unfounded accusations and an empty, manufactured record”.

The statement, signed by the president of the movement, Mohammed Dabouz, explained that the Algerian authorities were trying to “limit the peaceful activities of these two activists abroad” and ignoring pressure “from international human rights organisations…concerning human rights violations in Algeria in general and particularly in the M’zab.”

The Mozabite are an ethnically Berber group who inhabit the M’zb region in the norther Sahara including cities like Ghardaia which has seen tensions between authorities and its inhabitants over a lack of employment opportunities in recent years.

Yesterday, a rally in support of Sekkouti and Abbouna, led by Dabouz, took place in front of the Spanish embassy in Paris. AMA, of which Sekkouti is vice-president, called for a sit-in for Thursday this week in front of the Spanish Embassy in Rabat, Morocco.

This morning, the President of AMA, Rachid Raha, spoke at a press conference in Melilla and called for the Mozabites’ release.

Read more: Rights groups call on Algeria to ensure fair trial for minority activists.

He called the arrest warrant “political” and accused Algeria of linking the “peaceful activism of the two people for the rights of the Berbers of the M’zab” to terrorism.

Algeria sentenced in France for robbery

In France, an Algerian was sentenced to five years in prison by a court in the city of Avignon for two cases of robbery.

Describing himself as “a trader in Algeria of knick-knacks and organic products”, the man was first charged with stealing a Mercedes on 13 October 2013 in Gordes and subsequently charged with the robbery of another vehicle on 1 November 2013 in front of the Mérindol cemetery. He was found with 64 bags containing stolen items.