Posted January 15, 2026
On 14 December, Lyes Touati, the internationalist socialist activist, figurehead of the 2019 popular movement (Hirak) and the environmental struggle, among others; leading member of the Socialist Workers’ Party (PST), was arrested once again near his home in the town of Aokas.
The Bejaia examining magistrate ordered that he be remanded in Oued Ghir prison. He is being prosecuted under Article 87 bis of the Criminal Code for alleged ‘links with the MAK’. He faces between 5 and 10 years’ imprisonment.
The charge sheet was only compiled after his mobile phone was searched. He is mainly accused of private political exchanges with his PST comrades, as well as an ironic Facebook dated 11 October 2025 entitled ‘dedication to Ferhat MEHENI, the Kabyle pro-Zionist’. In this post, Lyes mocked the leader of the MAK (a notorious racist and pro-Zionist secessionist group) by featuring a photo of Rima HASSAN dressed in a traditional Kabyle dress, an MEP from La France Insoumise (LFI), known for her commitment to Palestinian resistance and for her role in organising the flotilla to break the Gaza blockade. The police scandalously twisted the meaning of this publication to impute to him the exact opposite of his political positions, which are well known to all.
Lyes is an activist for just causes, a model citizen, deeply attached to his country and his people, for whom he has worked tirelessly. He has been involved in every social and democratic struggle. His activist career was marked by his constant commitment to anti-racism, anti-imperialism, anti-Zionism and resolutely pro-Palestinianism. The broad outpouring of solidarity that has been expressed in his favour testifies to his great political and moral probity, as well as to the sympathy and respect he enjoys in his region and beyond.
WE, THE SIGNATORIES OF THIS APPEAL, CONSIDER :
- That the arrest of Lyes Touati is clearly an offence of opinion and constitutes a serious infringement of fundamental freedoms, in particular freedom of expression, communication and organisation,
- We protest against the arbitrary detention of Lyes Touati and call for his immediate release,
- We call for the prosecution to be dropped,
- We denounce the repression of trade union and association activists and call for the release of all political prisoners and prisoners of conscience.
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