The people might have pushed for and obtained the removal of Abdelaziz Bouteflika in 2019 but the dictatorship in Algeria is still very much alive. This information is from Amnesty International. Here is an excerpt:

In the past month alone, the Algerian authorities have suspended one political party and threatened two additional ones with a similar fate, Amnesty International said today. They have also sentenced one leader of a political party to two years in prison for expressing his opinions against repression in the country, bringing the total number of those currently detained as of 25 January for the exercise of their rights to peaceful protest and freedom of expression to at least 251.

The Algerian government claimed the three parties had breached the law by organizing “unauthorized gatherings” and holding their congresses later than expected.  All three parties are vocal critics of the government, have boycotted presidential, legislative and local elections and have played an active role in the Hirak, a mass protest movement calling for political change in the country since 2019. 

“The Algerian authorities remain hellbent on maintaining power and are seeking to crush their opponents by trampling on their rights to freedom of assembly, association and expression. There is absolutely no justification for the prosecution of political activists and shuttering of opposition political parties,” said Amna Guellali, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa.

Read the full article here.