Hicham Aboud returns after 15 years of exile

The return of Algerian journalist, Hicham Aboud after 15 years of exile has attracted colleagues from all Algerian press. Upon his arrival and exclusively to Echorouk, Hicham said his return to Algeria had nothing to do with political reforms contained in the speech of the President of the Republic. He explained that he was not involved in money embezzlement and had no blood in his hands, referring to the terrorism period in the 1990s. Hicham said he was back in Algeria ” in the utmost dignity'', after he had to face four justice cases accusing him and condemning him to imprisonment just because he wanted to reveal Algeria daily living facts.

 Hicham Aboud who participated in the Forum of Echorouk said that his opinions published in the press could have been a subject to judicial investigation, but what happened was quite different, since legal action was launched against him after the publication of his book ”The Mafia Generals” a second court case was brought against him by former security advisor to the presidency of the republic, General Betchine. A court case against Hicham was also brought by a person he said he did not know. But the most worrying for Hicham is the fact that all these actions had resulted in jail terms while the facts published report that his views on the press and all that”had only one goal: to silence me”said Hisham Forum of Echorouk.

 He continues:”I told my lawyer Khaled Berghella me that I return home to face my opponents through the courts.”Before adding”I also told all my friends in Algeria and in foreign countries, journalists, lawyers about my decision to return to my country.””So I put everyone in front of his liability if it were to happen to me something not good. “  

 Among other people were kept informed about Hicham’s movements was the lawyer Rachid Mesli who is responsible in an human rights organization based in Switzerland, and a representative of the Commission on Human Rights and the UN as well as many journalists working in Arab satellite channels and non-Arab.

He added: “When I arrived at the airport, my son and I had prepared ready SMSs if our lives were to be in danger. The airport police behaved in the most correct way. The police then took me to the judicial police who then called me through the prosecutor. On the way to the prison I was very quickly in contact with Rachid Mesli, because my lawyer was not with me
    
About the trust he has in the Algerian say “The first was in my favor is that the prosecution tried to judge me for acts that took place in France and not Algeria. I wrote my book on the generals in France since I was already in exile in France at this time”
 
The second point is that the Court of Hussein Dey is not the right jurisdiction territory-wise: since I had the complainant from Sidi Mohamed (Abane Ramadan), and my jurisdiction is in Lille, France, and if we take my last address in Algeria. Therefore, and therefore Court of  Hussein Dey is not competent to deal with the question.

For reforms in Algeria Hicham Aboud said that even if the intentions were good, the reforms Bouteflika he has initiated do not meet the concerns and expectations of the Algerian people. This shows that the advisers of the President of the Republic do transmit false information about the living conditions of citizens. The people will be indifferent in case of ant reforms failure undertaken