32 year old Algerian poet and activist Mohamed Tadjadit, known as “the poet of the Hirak”, was sentenced on 11 November 2025 to five years in prison, on top of the one-year sentence he was already serving, on baseless terrorism-related charges linked to his expression and peaceful activism. He also continues to face prosecution in another case for his online posts.

A leading voice of Algeria’s 2019 pro-democracy Hirak movement, he has endured years of harassment, arbitrary arrests, and imprisonment for his poetry and activism. PEN International calls on the Algerian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Mohamed Tadjadit and drop all charges against him.

Update: the 2025 conviction of 5 years  was commuted in January 2026 to two years' imprisonment and one year suspended, plus a 200,000 dinar fine. He remains on trial in another case where he could potentially face the death penalty on trumped-up charges.