The Kabylian Force

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The Kabyle press cartoon becomes an act of terrorism for the Algerian colonialist.

caricaturist


The Kabyle press cartoonist and caricaturist, former collaborator of Charlie Hebdo, Ghilas Aïnouche was sentenced to 10 years in prison by the algerian criminal court on November 30. Summoned on several occasions for drawings considered defamatory, Ghilas Aïnouche, who has been living in France for several years, has just been sentenced for “attacking the person of the President of the Republic”, “attacking the symbols of the State” and “terrorism” according to Article 87 BIS of the Algerian Penal Code.

An international arrest warrant has been issued against him for his press cartoons. Some of his cartoons are regularly reproduced on Kabyle.com with the author’s permission, published on social networks and in the international media.

This is the first time in the history of humanity that a cartoonist is prosecuted for “terrorism” because of his drawings in which he expresses his opinions and ideas in a peaceful manner.

Ghilas Aïnouche was not represented by a lawyer. This new arbitrary decision of the Algerian justice comes in a context of massive repression of the Kabyle people. 53 Kabyles falsely accused of the murder of Djamel Bensmail and arson in Kabylia during the summer of 2021 have been sentenced to death. Belaid Abrika, an emblematic figure of the 2001 revolt in Kabylia, was sentenced to one year in prison and a fine of 500,000DA in absentia, for attempting to lay a wreath of flowers on 20 April 2021 in Tizi Ouzou, in memory of the martyrs of the Black Spring and in commemoration of the Berber Spring.

The President of the Movement of Self-Determination of Kabylia, Ferhat Mehenni, also sentenced to life imprisonment for his identity struggle expressed his solidarity in these terms: “The incisive Kabyle cartoonist Ghilas Ainouche, in turn, is sentenced to 10 years in prison. The trials rain down on the Kabyles who defend the universal through Kabylia. My total solidarity with all those condemned for the crime of Kabylity”.

On October 17, 2022, the journalist Abdou Semmar was sentenced to death by the criminal court of Dar El Beïda, for revelations on Sonatrach, the Algerian oil and gas company.

In the face of adversity, the difficulties that have been accumulating for years to express ourselves freely, including in France, especially with the new law of August 24, 2021, which strengthens the legal arsenal of the Republic against separatism and undermines the rights of peoples to self-determination, the challenge is to circulate information, to strengthen the independence of our media, to support journalists, the press of opinion and freedom of expression.

Kabyle.com

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