Farid Alilat, an Algerian journalist who has worked for the magazine Jeune Afrique for 20 years, was not allowed entry into Algeria on Saturday, saying that Algerian authorities turned him away after interrogating him about his work, according to a testimony posted on his Facebook account on Sunday.
Alilat claimed that he was held for 11 hours at the Algiers airport police bureau before being deported to France. Despite having lived in France since 2004, where he was granted a residency card but no citizenship, Alilat travels frequently to Algeria, his home country, where his family resides.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF), a non-governmental organization that advocates for journalists’ rights, condemned the expulsion of the journalist without justification on its “X” account, writing in a caption with his photo, “RSF condemns Farid Alilat’s unjustified expulsion from the territory. The Algerian journalist who lives in France and works for Jeune Afrique was carted out of Algeria to Paris yesterday after 13 hours of waiting. “An unacceptable obstruction to press freedom.”
His story began on Friday, April 12, in the afternoon. Around 6:30 P.M., Alilat noted in his post, “I present myself at the PAF counter. After an initial identity check, the officer calls his superior. He takes my passport and makes phone calls. After five minutes, he asks me to follow him with my luggage to the entrance of the police bureau.”
When Farid sought an explanation for the unexpected and strange circumstance, he received the following response: “Routine checks.” With that, he continued “I’m directed to a waiting area already filled by Chinese and Sub-Saharan African nationals.”
Farid was interrogated without the presentation of a legal interrogation order by the relevant authority, according to his post.
He also revealed that his belongings had been confiscated in another room. “Around 10:30 P.M., the cops asked me to hand over my residency card, driver’s license, and press card, for scan and checking. The interrogation begins, with no legal documentation to legitimize this interrogation.”
Being surprised and perplexed, he only heard explanations such as, “typical procedure” and “routine check.”
In a mission for the magazine, the Algerian Farid’s workday became more memorable as it became lengthier, with the authorities scrutinizing all of his professional and personal matters. “Three officers take turns interrogating me about everything.” My family background, education, and personal social standing. They inquire about me, about my voyages, the people I encounter when I visit Algeria, my writings, the magazine’s editorial line, the motivation for my trip, the MAK, and Algerian opponents abroad.”
He continued, “At a particular moment, they asked me to unlock my phone and laptop so that they could access them.”
In his post, Alilat recounted the “undesirable situation” he endured in detail. The Algerian authorities seemed to be disturbed by the journalist’s publications about Algeria; they wanted to know everything about his positions and views.
He added in the same post, “They continued to ask about my articles in Jeune Afrique, my Facebook and Twitter posts, and my criminal records in Algeria and France.”
Maybe, the law enforcement personnel weren’t persuaded by the responses; therefore, they kept interviewing the man about his employment. “They insist again on my articles. I explained to the officers that I have been writing about “Algeria” for Jeune Afrique since 2004.
“Over the last 20 years, I have met hundreds of people in power, civilian or military officials or other interlocutors without being the slightest bothered by any police, judicial, security or political authority,” he further explained.
The Algerian proceeded to clarify in his social media message that he has returned to Algeria without trouble, yet suddenly he has been subjected to a lengthy investigation and expulsion from his homeland.
He explained, “In 2023, I flew to Algeria three times for work. I have never been investigated by any authority. My latest visit to Algeria was from December 15-24, 2023. Once more, I entered and exited the area without incident.”
Upon signing an interrogation report, the journalist was completely in shock, as nobody was capable of responding to his queries until he understood that he would be expelled from his country of origin without realizing the reason. “My interrogation ended at 4 A.M. Around 5:30 A.M., I approached a police officer (to ascertain) what was going on. He told me that I would be transported back on the 7 A.M.. flight.”
The journalist stated that he had been expelled from Algeria without explanation. No official document was provided to justify this arbitrary decision, which, according to him, violates the constitution. As a journalist, he realized that his reporting may have caused some discomfort, but he emphasized his commitment to independent journalism.
At the end of his post, he wondered about his fate should he ever return to Algeria for a second time, mentioning that it has become a great risk not only for him but also for his family, “My presence in Algeria tomorrow, even for private and family reasons, is a major risk for me and my loved ones. During all those hours I spent at the police offices, I imagined the worst to happen.”
“A policeman leads me to the entrance of the Air France plane. My passport is turned over to the captain. Voilà, I have been expelled from my country,” Farid noted, as his saga at the Algiers airport concluded.