ALGIERS: Prominent Algerian media executive Ihsane El Kadi was released on Friday under a presidential pardon. He was freed on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the independence war against France, said lawyers.
El Kadi, 65, who heads Interface Medias, which includes the Maghreb Emergent news website and Radio M, was sentenced to seven years in prison in June 2023 after appealing an initial five-year sentence for “foreign financing” of his business.
His lawyer, Noureddine Ahmine, shared the news on Facebook, expressing joy at El Kadi’s release and posting a photo of him with his family. Another lawyer, Nabila Smail, commented, “At last, Ihsane El Kadi is back home with his loved ones. Freed on November 1. The end of a nightmare.”
READ ALSO: 47 Palestinians Reportedly Killed in Israeli Strikes in Central Gaza
The seven-year sentence was the maximum penalty under Algerian law for receiving funds intended to undermine state security. El Kadi’s lawyers contended that the funds in question came from his daughter, Tin Hinane, who is based in London and a shareholder in his media group, and were meant to settle debts.
His arrest triggered widespread solidarity among colleagues and rights activists in Algeria and Europe, with a petition from Reporters Without Borders (RSF) gathering over 10,000 signatures. Algeria ranks 139th out of 180 countries on RSF’s 2024 World Press Freedom Index.
To commemorate the anniversary of the 1956-1962 conflict that led to Algeria’s independence, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune signed two decrees granting pardons to more than 4,000 detainees.
