Ammar Lakehal, a Canadian citizen and long-time advocate for an independent Kabylia, believes his son, Massinissa Lakehal, was imprisoned due to their shared political views. Massinissa was sentenced to five years in Algeria on charges including undermining national unity, inciting hatred, and promoting terrorism. Although he is not a member of the Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylia (MAK), which Algeria has designated as a terrorist organization, Ammar asserts that his son's public denunciations of political detainees' imprisonment led to his conviction.
Montreal resident Ammar Lakehal, who has long campaigned for the creation of an independent state in Kabylia , a Berber-speaking region of Algeria , believes the court convicted Massinissa Lakehal over their ties.An Algeria n court has sentenced Massinissa Lakehal, left, to five years in prison. His father Ammar Lakehal, right, has long campaigned for the creation of an independent state in Kabylia , a Berber-speaking region of Algeria .
Algeria declared the MAK a terrorist entity in 2021, and anyone associated with the group risks imprisonment. Neither Canada nor the United States consider the MAK a terrorist organization. Ammar Lakehal accuses the Algerian authorities of imprisoning his son to punish him for his own political activism.
The office of Global Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly would not comment on Massinissa Lakehal's prison sentence.
Algeria Kabylia Independence Movement Political Prisoner Terrorism
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