Two Algerian journalists, Omar Ferhat and Sofiane Ghirous, have been remanded in custody after their news outlet published interviews critical of a government minister, according to the National Committee for the Release of Detainees (CNLD).
Ferhat, the director of Algeria Scoop, and Ghirous, its editor-in-chief, were arrested on Thursday.
Their website had published interviews with entrepreneurs who criticized Minister of Professional Training Yacine Merabi.
The interviews were later deleted, but authorities took action nonetheless.
The entrepreneurs accused Merabi of marginalizing them during an official event in the capital.
The CNLD reported that the journalists now face charges of “inciting and spreading hate speech.”
A third journalist from the same outlet was placed under judicial supervision.
This incident highlights the ongoing pressure faced by independent media in Algeria.
The country ranks a dismal 139th out of 180 on the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) World Press Freedom Index.
RSF’s report noted that journalists in Algeria are frequently jailed, prosecuted, and even threatened for simply mentioning sensitive topics like corruption or protests.
