Algiers – The life of a prominent Algerian activist is in danger after he began his second hunger strike during 11 months in detention without trial, Amnesty International warned on Wednesday.
El Hadi Lassouli is a farmer and co-founder of the CNLD, a group established in the wake of the 2019 Hirak protest movement to campaign for the rights of political detainees.
Lassouli, in his 50s, was arrested in June last year, Amnesty said without giving details of the charges.
Since his detention, “his health has seriously degraded, putting his life in danger, according to his family and his lawyers”, the London-based rights group said in a statement.
ALSO READ | Algeria says arrested activist died of ‘natural causes’
Amnesty’s Algeria director Hassina Oussedik said he “should be released pending trial”.
The CNLD prisoners’ support group says more than 260 people are behind bars in Algeria in relation to the Hirak movement or rights campaigning.
Amnesty’s warning came less than a month after the death in detention of fellow activist Hakim Debbazi.
Debbazi, 55, was arrested in February after publishing Facebook posts in support of the pro-democracy Hirak.
He died on April 24, according to the Algerian rights group LADDH.
An Algerian minister on Tuesday blamed “natural causes” for his death, which sparked a wave of anger and prompted his family to file a lawsuit for manslaughter.
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Source: AFP
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