KHALED
DRARENI
Algerian journalist arrested in 2020 while covering Hirak protests; released by pardon February 2021.
- Country
- Algeria
- Role
- Journalist
- Arrested
- 29 Mar 2020
- Sentence
- 2 years (after appeal); released by presidential pardon on 19 February 2021
Silhouette in place of portrait. No image is published without explicit consent from the defender or their family.
Released after
Two thousand two hundred+ days.
Days held before release on 29 March 2020. Case closed · counter frozen
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Arrest
Arrested at Hirak protest in Algiers
Detained while covering an anti-government demonstration.
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Verdict
Sentenced to 3 years in prison
Convicted by an Algiers court of incitement and harming national unity.
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Verdict
Appeal reduces sentence to 2 years
Appellate court reduced the term to two years' imprisonment.
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Case update
Presidential pardon announced
President Tebboune announced a pardon for Drareni among other political prisoners on the eve of the second Hirak anniversary.
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Release
Released from Koléa prison
Drareni left prison after 11 months of detention.
Approved
The arrest, and what followed.
Background and work
Khaled Drareni is one of Algeria's most prominent independent journalists. He covers the Hirak movement, the post-Bouteflika political transition, and the consolidation of judicial restrictions on the press. He runs Casbah Tribune and reports for Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the French-language broadcaster TV5 Monde.
Arrest and conviction
On 29 March 2020 Drareni was arrested while covering an anti-government demonstration in Algiers. He was charged with "incitement of an unarmed gathering" and "harming national unity". In August 2020 a court sentenced him to three years; an appeal reduced the sentence to two years.
Release
Drareni was released from Koléa prison on 19 February 2021 under a pardon announced by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. His release came three days before the second anniversary of the start of the Hirak protest wave and was seen as a partial concession to mounting international pressure from press-freedom groups, including a "We Are Khaled" campaign and a Paris ring-road billboard of his portrait.
After prison
Since his release Drareni has continued to report on Algerian press freedom from a precarious position, with intermittent harassment and surveillance pressure. His case remains the most internationally visible symbol of Algeria's post-Hirak media crackdown.
Sources on file with HuMENA EditorialReading time · 6 minutes
I will continue to be a journalist. There is no other way.HuMENA Editorial · 2026
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Compiled by HuMENA's Algeria research team from primary documentation, public filings, family-supplied legal documents, and confidential partner reporting. Editorial responsibility: HuMENA Editorial Board.
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