13/09/2019 (Agence Europe) – On Friday 13 September, the Chair of the European Parliament's Subcommittee on Human Rights, Maria Arena, denounced the arrest, the day before at his home, of Karim Tabbou, “one of the popular figures and respected by Algerian protestors” for damaging the army's morale. “We condemn this arbitrary act that comes after a recent wave of arrests of citizens, students and activists united by their determination to build a free and democratic Algeria”, she said in a statement. Ms Arena called for the immediate release of Karim Tabbou and all political prisoners. She called on the authorities to listen to the legitimate demands made by millions of Algerian citizens over the past 30 weeks. The date of the upcoming presidential elections is expected to be announced on Sunday, 15 September. (CG)