Algerian authorities have arrested two journalists, Sofiane Ghirous and Ferhat Omar of the news website “Algerie Scoop,” after they published a video showing businesswomen protesting their treatment at a government-sponsored event. The arrests, made last week, were based on claims by authorities that the material “constituted incitement and hate speech,” according to the National Committee for the Liberation of Detainees, a local watchdog group.

The video featured women start-up founders accusing the government of “humiliating” and treating them with “contempt” at an innovation event organized by the Ministry of Education and Professional Training. Ghirous, the editor-in-chief, and Omar, the website’s director, were detained as a result.

The press freedom group Reporters Without Borders recently downgraded Algeria’s ranking on its freedom of expression index to 139th out of 180 in 2024, citing “pressure on independent media and threats to arrest journalists.”

In a related incident in June, the popular news website Radio M announced its closure due to “impossible conditions” while its editor, Ihsane El Kadi, serves a five-year prison sentence for allegedly accepting foreign funds for his critical coverage of the government.

Additionally, authorities raided the Librairie Gouraya bookstore in Bejaia to prevent a book signing for “Shared Kabylia” by French author Dominique Martre. Martre, the Algerian publisher, and several others, including journalists and activists, were briefly arrested but released later in the evening.

The crackdown on freedom of expression comes as Algeria prepares for a September election, with President Tebboune likely seeking a second term.