February 18, 2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(NEW YORK) – Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) and PEN America strongly condemn the sentencing of Algerian poet Mohamed Tadjadit to five years in prison by the Rouiba Court in Algiers on January 20, 2025 on charges of “inciting hatred on social media,” “harming the national interest,” and “insulting a constituted authority.”

“The criminal prosecution of Mohamed Tadjadit—seemingly for his artistic and free expression through his poems criticizing government policy—is a clear violation of fundamental human rights and Algeria’s constitutional obligations to protect freedom of expression,” said Julie Trébault, Executive Director of ARC. “Artists, writers and poets have been frequently targeted by Algerian authorities, particularly in the last few years which has seen mass popular protests, as they often give voice and expression to widespread frustrations. Criminalizing artists never works and Algeria should immediately release Mohamed Tadjadit.”

“Poetry is not a crime. Writers and poets should enjoy the freedom to express their ideas through their literary work without repercussions,” said Karin Karlekar, Director of Writers at Risk at PEN America. “No government should silence creative voices or restrict the exchange of ideas. Such actions create a corrosive chilling effect that erodes the foundations of free expression and weakens the pillars of democracy.”

Arrested at his home on January 16, 2025, Tadjadit remained in detention until his court hearing, where he was sentenced to five years in prison for his poetry related to the #Manich_Radhi (“I am not satisfied”) protest movement—challenging the country’s worsening economic conditions and increasing restrictions on freedoms. 

Mohamed Tadjadit gained public attention during the 2019 Hirak movement. His poetry, a powerful form of peaceful resistance against injustice, earned him the nickname “the poet of Hirak.”

In November 2024,  Tadjadit was released from detention following a presidential pardon, after being arrested on January 29, 2024. He was placed in pre-trial detention and brought before a prosecutor and investigative judge in Rouiba, Algiers, without a lawyer. He faced charges of “glorification of terrorism” and “using communication technologies to support the actions and activities of terrorist organizations” based on videos he posted on Facebook and Tiktok, which criticized the Algerian authorities and commented on the country’s political and socioeconomic issues.  

Since the start of the Hirak movement, Mohamed Tadjadit has been repeatedly targeted by the Algerian authorities. According to Amnesty International, “between 2019 and 2022, the authorities prosecuted and detained Mohamed Tadjadit in at least four different cases, all for his participation in peaceful protests or for exercising his right to freedom of expression.”

ARC and PEN America urge Algerian authorities to abandon all criminal charges against Tadjadit, end the prosecution of writers and artists for their expression, and immediately and unconditionally release all those detained.

About ARC

Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) is an international organization committed to promoting and advancing the right to artistic freedom worldwide. Founded in 2017, ARC works to protect artists and cultural workers who are at risk because of their creative expression, often connected to their identities or roles within their communities. By providing vital resources and support, ARC helps artists at risk overcome challenges like persecution, censorship, threats, and violence from both state and non-state actors—whether for their artistic expression or the broader impact they have on cultural, social, and political issues.

About PEN America

PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible.

Contact: Elias Ephron, eephron@artistsatriskconnection.org