Malik Riahi detained for his human rights activism in Algeria
Name(s):
Malik Riahi
Status:
Detained
Nationality:
Algerian
Malik Riahi is an Algerian human rights defender actively involved in the Hirak movement and widely followed on social media for his live broadcasts of demonstrations. He was previously imprisoned for publishing a video showing police violence against a minor and has since faced renewed legal prosecution following his meeting with UN Special Rapporteur Clément Voule in 2023. He was arrested in February 2025 and currently remains in detention.
Malik Riahi is an Algerian human rights defender who was actively involved in the Hirak movement and widely followed on social media for his live broadcasts of demonstrations. On September 19, 2023, Riahi met with the former UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Clément Voule. The meeting took place at the invitation of the Special Rapporteur in a hotel in the wilaya of Oran. After leaving the meeting, Riahi was followed by a car carrying individuals in civilian clothes.
On September 20, 2023, Riahi was summoned to a police station in the wilaya of Aïn Temouchent, where he was questioned for approximately one hour without the presence of a lawyer. During the interrogation, security officers questioned him extensively about his meeting with the Special Rapporteur, including the subject of the meeting, the issues discussed, the identity of the activists present, and which human rights defenders had spoken. Questions related to the meeting with the Special Rapporteur were not included in the interrogation report. According to the report, his summoning was instead linked to Riahi’s solidarity with prisoners of conscience and activists. He was subsequently released.
On October 12, 2023, the Bouira tribunal of first instance sentenced Riahi to 18 months’ imprisonment. The case stemmed from a complaint filed by the management of Saïd Abid prison in Bouira against Malik Riahi, Mahmoud Beloucif, Sofiane Rebaïa, and Zakaria Guerfa, after they had filed a complaint alleging ill-treatment and assault by security officers. The prison administration reportedly refused to register their complaint, after which the public prosecutor at the Bouira court decided to prosecute them instead.
On October 30, 2023, UN human rights experts issued a communication to the Algerian authorities, expressing concern over Riahi’s arrest and detention following his meeting with Special Rapporteur Clément Voule.
On April 15, 2024, MENA Rights Group referred Riahi’s case to the UN Secretary-General ahead of the preparation of the annual report on intimidation and reprisals for cooperation with the UN in the field of human rights.
On May 19, 2024, Riahi and 25 other Hirak activists were sentenced by the Annaba court, in a first-instance ruling, to two years’ imprisonment. The charges were brought under article 95 bis of the Penal Code, relating to the receipt of foreign funding. Although he was convicted, no committal order was issued.
On September 26, 2024, the UN Secretary-General raised Riahi’s case in the 2024 report on reprisals against individuals who cooperate with the UN in the field of human rights.
On October 10, 2024, in a separate case against Riahi and several other activists, including Mohamed Tadjadit, Chems Eddine Lallami, Sofiane Rebaïa, Souhaib Debaghi, and Mohamed Khaled, the public prosecutor requested a sentence of three years’ imprisonment and a fine. They were prosecuted on charges of “spreading false information likely to undermine public security” under article 196 bis of the Penal Code, “inciting an unarmed gathering” under article 100 of the Penal Code, and “publicly displaying content harmful to national interest” under article 96 of the Penal Code.
On December 8, 2024, Riahi was sentenced on appeal to 18 months’ imprisonment by the criminal division of the Bouira court, confirming the sentence handed down by the Bouira tribunal on October 12, 2023. The defendants were prosecuted on charges of “contempt of a constituted body” under article 146 bis of the Penal Code and “rebellion” under article 183 of the Penal Code. Having already served his prison sentence, Riahi was not detained following this ruling.
On February 22, 2025, during the commemoration of the sixth anniversary of the Hirak movement, Riahi was arrested. Following his arrest, his family received no information about his whereabouts, and he was held incommunicado for several days.
On February 25, 2025, Riahi was presented before the prosecutor of the Sidi Mhamed court and charged with “contempt of a constituted body”, “contempt of the President of the Republic”, “dissemination and propagation to the public of false information and lies likely to endanger security and public order”, “incitement to an unarmed gathering”, and “affiliation with a terrorist group”.
On March 2, 2025, Riahi’s family and lawyers were informed for the first time of the location where he was being detained.
On April 25, 2025, MENA Rights Group referred Riahi’s case once more to the UN Secretary-General ahead of the preparation of the annual report on intimidation and reprisals for cooperation with the UN in the field of human rights.
On September 24, 2025, the UN Secretary-General raised the case in the 2025 report on reprisals against individuals who cooperate with the UN in the field of human rights.
Riahi remains in pre-trial detention in Kolea prison awaiting trial.
On April 15, 2026, MENA Rights Group referred Riahi’s case for a third time to the UN Secretary-General ahead of the preparation of the annual report on intimidation and reprisals for cooperation with the UN in the field of human rights.
| Name(s): |
Malik Riahi
|
| Status: |
Detained
|
| Nationality: |
Algerian
|
Malik Riahi is an Algerian human rights defender who was actively involved in the Hirak movement and widely followed on social media for his live broadcasts of demonstrations. On September 19, 2023, Riahi met with the former UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Clément Voule. The meeting took place at the invitation of the Special Rapporteur in a hotel in the wilaya of Oran. After leaving the meeting, Riahi was followed by a car carrying individuals in civilian clothes.
On September 20, 2023, Riahi was summoned to a police station in the wilaya of Aïn Temouchent, where he was questioned for approximately one hour without the presence of a lawyer. During the interrogation, security officers questioned him extensively about his meeting with the Special Rapporteur, including the subject of the meeting, the issues discussed, the identity of the activists present, and which human rights defenders had spoken. Questions related to the meeting with the Special Rapporteur were not included in the interrogation report. According to the report, his summoning was instead linked to Riahi’s solidarity with prisoners of conscience and activists. He was subsequently released.
On October 12, 2023, the Bouira tribunal of first instance sentenced Riahi to 18 months’ imprisonment. The case stemmed from a complaint filed by the management of Saïd Abid prison in Bouira against Malik Riahi, Mahmoud Beloucif, Sofiane Rebaïa, and Zakaria Guerfa, after they had filed a complaint alleging ill-treatment and assault by security officers. The prison administration reportedly refused to register their complaint, after which the public prosecutor at the Bouira court decided to prosecute them instead.
On October 30, 2023, UN human rights experts issued a communication to the Algerian authorities, expressing concern over Riahi’s arrest and detention following his meeting with Special Rapporteur Clément Voule.
On April 15, 2024, MENA Rights Group referred Riahi’s case to the UN Secretary-General ahead of the preparation of the annual report on intimidation and reprisals for cooperation with the UN in the field of human rights.
On May 19, 2024, Riahi and 25 other Hirak activists were sentenced by the Annaba court, in a first-instance ruling, to two years’ imprisonment. The charges were brought under article 95 bis of the Penal Code, relating to the receipt of foreign funding. Although he was convicted, no committal order was issued.
On September 26, 2024, the UN Secretary-General raised Riahi’s case in the 2024 report on reprisals against individuals who cooperate with the UN in the field of human rights.
On October 10, 2024, in a separate case against Riahi and several other activists, including Mohamed Tadjadit, Chems Eddine Lallami, Sofiane Rebaïa, Souhaib Debaghi, and Mohamed Khaled, the public prosecutor requested a sentence of three years’ imprisonment and a fine. They were prosecuted on charges of “spreading false information likely to undermine public security” under article 196 bis of the Penal Code, “inciting an unarmed gathering” under article 100 of the Penal Code, and “publicly displaying content harmful to national interest” under article 96 of the Penal Code.
On December 8, 2024, Riahi was sentenced on appeal to 18 months’ imprisonment by the criminal division of the Bouira court, confirming the sentence handed down by the Bouira tribunal on October 12, 2023. The defendants were prosecuted on charges of “contempt of a constituted body” under article 146 bis of the Penal Code and “rebellion” under article 183 of the Penal Code. Having already served his prison sentence, Riahi was not detained following this ruling.
On February 22, 2025, during the commemoration of the sixth anniversary of the Hirak movement, Riahi was arrested. Following his arrest, his family received no information about his whereabouts, and he was held incommunicado for several days.
On February 25, 2025, Riahi was presented before the prosecutor of the Sidi Mhamed court and charged with “contempt of a constituted body”, “contempt of the President of the Republic”, “dissemination and propagation to the public of false information and lies likely to endanger security and public order”, “incitement to an unarmed gathering”, and “affiliation with a terrorist group”.
On March 2, 2025, Riahi’s family and lawyers were informed for the first time of the location where he was being detained.
On April 25, 2025, MENA Rights Group referred Riahi’s case once more to the UN Secretary-General ahead of the preparation of the annual report on intimidation and reprisals for cooperation with the UN in the field of human rights.
On September 24, 2025, the UN Secretary-General raised the case in the 2025 report on reprisals against individuals who cooperate with the UN in the field of human rights.
Riahi remains in pre-trial detention in Kolea prison awaiting trial.
On April 15, 2026, MENA Rights Group referred Riahi’s case for a third time to the UN Secretary-General ahead of the preparation of the annual report on intimidation and reprisals for cooperation with the UN in the field of human rights.
