The arrest of the president of the Algerian Association Struggling against Corruption, and representative of Transparency International in Algeria, has outraged many NGOs and international human rights associations. The latter consider that this matter is nothing but a pretext by the Algerian authorities to intimidate the activist, known for his sharp criticism of the government’s laxity in fighting against corruption that plagues large parts of Algeria.
“Reporters Without Borders” (RWB) has condemned this arrest that concerns a murky issue of medical certificates that Djilali Hadjadj, in his capacity as a doctor, delivered to his wife. For RWB, this is just an excuse to “silence a man who never stopped denouncing corruption in Algeria.” The same concern has been expressed by Transparency International which called the Algerian government to ensure the safety of Dr. Hadjadj.

Other NGOs have considered this arrest as an attempt to strangle the voice of an uncompromising activist, for whom Algiers has reserved the same fate as the one reserved to the journalist Mohamed Benchicou. Arrested in 2003, Benchicou was sentenced the next year to two years imprisonment for absurd violation of the law on exchange control. For some time now, authorities are getting an eye on Djilali Hadjadj, especially after his severe criticism against recent decisions taken by the Algerian President, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, on the fight against corruption.
Djilali Hadjadj wrote two books on corruption in Algeria. He is also one of the co-authors of the book entitled “Our friend Bouteflika: From the State dreamed of to the rogue State”, (“Notre ami Bouteflika: De l’Etat rêvé à l’Etat scélérat”) a book published under the leadership of Benchicou.