Daily Times

Algerian human rights activist Fatiha Briki has been detained by authorities and no official reason has been given for her arrest, her family and a prisoners’ rights group said Monday.

Briki, a retired university teacher and a member of prisoners’ rights group CNLD, was arrested on Thursday and her home searched, according to the CNLD. “I believe that her work on behalf of detainees is the root cause for her arrest,” Said Salhi, vice-president of the Algerian League for the Defence of Human Rights (LADDH), said. Authorities have not commented on the arrest of Briki, who is also a member of an anti-torture association. Her family called for her “immediate release” in a statement, and said they tried but were prevented from visiting her on Sunday at her place of detention. “Fatiha is well both physically and psychologically. Her place is not in prison,” the statement added.

Briki took part in the weekly anti-government protests organised by the Hirak movement, until such rallies were banned by the interior ministry ahead of the June 12 parliamentary election. The vote, which was won by Algeria’s long-dominant National Liberation Front, was boycotted by the Hirak and saw a record low turnout of 23 percent. Ahead of the election, authorities had arrested a string of opposition figures, activists, journalists and lawyers, although some were quickly released with no reason given for their detention.

At least 260 people connected to the protest movement or other organisations pressing for more rights are currently in detention in Algeria, according to the CNLD.