In Algeria, politicians no longer know who to accuse in order to free themselves from responsibility for the human rights situation criticized by the European Parliament in a resolution voted by an overwhelming majority.
France was first accused of having orchestrated the vote on this resolution through the deputies of Emmanuel Macron’s presidential party, without however providing evidence. Algerian media and politicians were inspired by the Moroccan reaction to the same condemnation in February. Except that in the case of Morocco, evidence of the involvement of the Renew Europe group and the French pen-holder of the resolution has been established.
Morocco was also targeted by accusations in a dispatch from the official Algerian news agency (APS). The Algerian dispatch wanted to make believe that it would be Morocco which would have been at the origin of the adoption of the European resolution, whereas the Kingdom itself was victim of it.
The day after the vote in the European Parliament on May 11, the APS came out with a dispatch that served to put the blame on Morocco, indicating that it would be a maneuver intended to “reassure the internal networks of the Makhzen in the EP”.
“This resolution of the European Parliament against Algeria does not reassure on the state of this institution which, instead of seeking to satisfy the obsessions of nuisance of its proteges and which is struggling to get rid of the fallout from the scandal + Moroccogate +, should worry first about the suffering of the oppressed and martyred peoples”, added the Algerian press agency.
The Algerian Parliament also reacted through its two chambers, the Senate and the Assembly of People’s Representatives (ARP), by attacking the credibility of the European Parliament and by pointing the finger in particular at the corruption scandals within the framework of “Qatargate”.
Salah Goudjil, 92, the oldest Algerian deputy, often criticized for clinging to power despite his advanced age and accused of “senile” and “dinosaur”, did not fail to ride the wave of the enemy ” Moroccan “.
Instead of responding with arguments to the accusations and to the incriminating dossier presented by the European Parliament, the President of the Council of the Nation, considered the number 2 in Algeria, preferred to attack Morocco and gave instructions to further strengthen the work of Algeria to maintain the conflict in the Sahara by supporting the Polisario.
Regarding the accusations of serious human rights violations in Algeria, Goudjil said that “It is Algeria that teaches lessons in terms of freedom of expression and respect for human rights and not the other way around”.
Among the foundations of the new Algeria (an idea promoted by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune) is “support for peoples who are still languishing under the colonial yoke and who are struggling for their self-determination in accordance with the principles of international legality”he added, citing Palestine and seeking to stick the Algerian invention of the polisario there.
As a reminder, the plenary of the European Parliament had adopted, Thursday, May 11, a resolution on “freedom of the press and freedom of expression, the case of journalist Ihsane El Kadi”. The text was tabled by five groups of MEPs: the European People’s Party, the Social Democrats, Renew Group, the Greens and the Conservatives and Reformists Group.
The resolution, adopted by an overwhelming majority (536 for, 4 against and 18 abstentions), calls on the Algerian authorities to release the journalist Ihsane El Kadi, sentenced to five years in prison including 3 firm, as well as the other imprisoned media professionals.
By this adoption, it was pointed out, “the European Parliament shows that it no longer intends to remain silent in the face of the repression carried out by the Algerian authorities against the country’s independent media or what remains of it”.