Several other activists who are critical of the Algerian regime are fearing forced deportation from Spain.
- Safaa Kasraoui
- Aug. 23, 2021 10:14 p.m.
Rabat – Abdellah Mohammed, an ex-gendarme turned anti-government activist and one of the prominent figures who constantly voiced his distrust of and opposition to the Algerian regime during the Hirak (anti-establishment protests), has been deported to Algeria to face what his supporters have described as trumped up charges, AFP reported.
Spain handed Mohammed to Algerian authorities after Algiers issued an international arrest warrant against government critics it described as “terrorists.”
Algeria is accusing the activist of terrorism because of his membership of the Islamic-inspired Rachad movement.
In addition to deporting Mohammed, Spain also banned the activist from entering the European country for 10 years because of his political and ideological affiliations.
Earlier this year, in May, the Algerian government labelled the Rachad movement as a “terrorist group,” but critics have maintained that the decision was politically motivated and mainly designed to legitimize the government’s crackdown on the anti-establishment movement.
Most recently, the Algerian government also accused the Rachad movement and MAK, a group advocating for Kabyle self-determination, of causing the wildfires that recently swept across Kabylia, a region in northern Morocco.
Both movements have strongly denied the allegations.
According to AFP, Abdellah Mohammed was deported from Spain along with at least 30 other Algerian nationals.
They were all transferred to Algeria by boat from Almeria on Saturday, noted AFP’s report.
Since arriving in Algeria, Abdellah Mohammed has appeared before the civil court and is now waiting to appear before the military court, said a judicial source quoted by AFP.
Mohammed’s arrest and deportation came after an Algerian court issued international arrest warrants against several activists, accusing them of being involved in a terrorist plot against the North African country.
Among the wanted activists are Mohamed Larbi Zeitout, a former diplomat residing in the UK, blogger Amir Boukhos, and journalist Hichem Aboud.
After news broke of Mohammed’s expulsion, a group of over 30 Algerian activists protested their potential forced deportation from Spain. They published a hand-written petition, threatening to launch a hunger strike against their deportation.
