‘Clear escalation’ in government repression as Algeria heads to the polls after a time of protest

The Algerian government has been accused of escalating its campaign of intimidation against pro democracy protesters ahead of legislative elections on 12 June.

In Algeria and the west, rights groups have criticised the crackdown as “unprecedented”, with a spokesperson for Human Rights Watch, (HRW) telling The Independent the arrests marked a “clear escalation” in government repression.

Nevertheless, on Friday demonstrators again marched in admittedly reduced numbers across Algeria, their banners rejecting the entrenched influence of the closed circles of influence around the Presidency and denouncing the forthcoming election as a deal with “the gangs of the Mafiosi”.