In a notable turn-of-events Ihsane El Kadi stepped out of detention last thursday evening: the well-known journalist got his freedom along with 8 other state-critics (who faced similar charges for speaking against the government)
The release happened during Algerias 70-year revolution commemoration - a time when the north-african country often gives out pardons. El Kadi became a key-figure during the pro democracy movement about 5 years ago‚ but later faced accusations of getting outside money for his news-outlets and putting state-security at risk
The timing of this mass-release isnt random; the government picked the historic date to show its goodwill. The tradition of giving pardons on revolution-related dates helps the state maintain its public image while dealing with political dissent. All freed individuals had been locked up for criticizing state policies
The pardon affects several media-professionals who got in trouble with authorities for their work. El Kadis case got lots of attention because he ran popular news platforms and spoke up during street protests that changed Algerias political scene half a decade ago