Maghreb Edition

Algeria: Regime rearrests opposition figure Karim TabbouF

Posted On 24 May 2023

Number of times this article was read : 1211

Arezki’s Opinion

Algerian opposition figure Karim Tabbou has been taken into custody for unknown reasons, reports said Wednesday, with his brother saying plainclothes police officers had detained him at his home. Tabbou, 48, was one of the most recognisable faces during mass rallies, led by the Hirak pro-democracy movement, that began in February 2019. The protests demanded a sweeping overhaul of the ruling system in place since the North African country’s independence from France in 1962.

Tabbou “was arrested in Dely Ibrahim”, a suburb of the capital Algiers, “by plainclothes police”, his brother Djaffar said in a Facebook post late Tuesday, citing lawyer Toufik Belala. The brother added that Tabbou had not been informed of when he would appear before prosecutors or the charges he might face. Tabbou’s lawyer Belala was unavailable for comment.

Tabbou leads a small, unregistered opposition party, the Democratic and Social Union (UDS). He was sentenced in March 2020 to one year in jail for “undermining national security” over his criticism of the army’s involvement in politics. After his release from prison, he was detained again in April 2022 for 24 hours for unknown reasons. The Hirak protests had forced longtime president Abdelaziz Bouteflika to step down. Demonstrations continued in a push for deep reforms but the movement waned when the coronavirus pandemic struck. Dozens are still detained in Algeria over links to Hirak or human rights activism, according to the National Committee for the Release of Detainees.

AFP

Subscribe to Urgent Notifications and Newsletter

Most Recent Stories from the Region

North African Countries Among World’s Cheapest for Gasoline, Lead Global Rankings$

North African countries currently rank among the cheapest places in the world to buy gasoline, according to international price data published in late April 2026. The global average pump price for gasoline stood at around $1.49 per liter, while several North African producers were charging less than half that level. Libya, Algeria and Egypt all sit among the most affordable markets globally — though two non-African countries, Venezuela and Iran, rank between Libya and the rest of the African group in the worldwide table.

Libya: A drifting Russian gas tanker threatens the Mediterranean$

Since March 3, 2026, the Russian LNG tanker Arctic Metagaz, 277 meters long, has been drifting off the Libyan coast. Loaded with 62,000 tons of liquefied natural gas (LNG), 900 tons of diesel, and 450 tons of heavy fuel oil, it poses the risk of an environmental disaster for the Mediterranean basin. Amid repeated failures to tow the vessel, accusations of Ukrainian sabotage, and the powerlessness of Libyan authorities, the Mediterranean is on high alert.

Written by The North Africa Journal

The North Africa Journal is a leading English-language publication focused on North Africa. The Journal covers primarily the Maghreb region and expands its general coverage to the Sahel, Egypt, and beyond, when events in those regions affect the broader North Africa geography. The Journal does not have any affiliation with any institution and has been independent since its founding in 1996. Our position is to always bring our best analysis of events affecting the region, and remain as neutral as humanly possible. Our coverage is not limited to one single topic, but ranges from economic and political affairs, to security, defense, social and environmental issues. We rely on our full staff analysts and editors to bring you best-in-class analysis. We also work with sister company MEA Risk LLC, to leverage the presence on the ground of a solid network of contributors and experts. Information on MEA Risk can be found at www.MEA-Risk.com.