16/09/2020 (Agence Europe) – The Chair of Parliament’s Sub-committee on Human Rights, Maria Arena (S&D, Belgium), denounced on Tuesday 15 September the two-year prison sentence handed down on appeal against the conviction of Algerian journalist Khaled Drareni. According to her, this sentence “locks down the right to freedom of expression in a country where freedom of the press has been dearly won, but protected”. “Journalists are human rights defenders. Who else can guarantee the independence of information in Algeria?”, she asked in a statement. Mr Drareni was imprisoned on 29 March on charges of ‘inciting an unarmed gathering’ and ‘endangering national unity’ after covering a demonstration by Algerian Hirak on 7 March. (CG)