ALGERIA IWC Press Release Immediate Release of Louisa Hanoune and of All the Political Prisoners in Algeria!

On September 25, 2019, the military Court of Blida (Algeria) sentenced Louisa Hanoune, General Secretary of the Algerian Workers Party, to fifteen years of imprisonment. 

Louisa Hanoune has been detained since May 9, and stood trial with Saïd Bouteflika, the brother of the former President of Algeria, and generals Tewfik and Tartag. The four of them were accused of « conspiracy against the State ». 

The International Workers Committee (IWC) condemns the decision of the military Court, and demands the immediate release of Louisa Hanoune and of all the political prisoners in Algeria. 

Whatever opinion one may have about the situation in Algeria or about the political position of Louisa Hanoune and her party, nothing can justify such a repression against the leader of a political party, especially the leader of a party which claims to be on side of the working class. The present Algerian regime has unleashed for months waves of repression against activists, lawyers, trade unionists, young people, under various pretexts. 

It is up to Algerian workers and people alone to decide which parties represent them and which do not. It is certainly not the business of military courts and army generals. 

We reassert here the stand we have expressed again and again since the month of May, especially by circulating worldwide the appeal of the United States labour activists for the immediate release of Louisa Hanoune and of all political prisoners in Algeria. 

We call upon all labour activists of all tendencies and ask them to demand, by the means they feel appropriate, the immediate release of Louisa Hanoune and of all political prisoners in Algeria. 

September 26, 2019 

Daniel Gluckstein                    Nambiath Vasudevan