Ouyahia denies imminent release Islamist detainees

Prime Minister, Ahmed Ouyahia, has denied on Sunday reports alleging an imminent release of Islamist detainees.

Mr Ouyahia told a press conference: “I absolutely deny such a rumour, with respects I owe to brothers who announced it,” referring to former senior members in the dissolved Islamist FIS party, namely El Hachemi Sahnouni and Abdelfateh Zeraoui.

They both revealed a couple of weeks ago that President Abdelaziz Bouteflika is due to amnesty Islamist detainees, including those arrested in the early nineties, on the aftermath of the suspension of the electoral process and the suspension  of FIS party.

El Hachemi Sahnouni and Abdelfateh Zeraoui said in a statement issued last 16 April President Bouteflika is due to amnesty sooner Islamist prisoners charged of terror acts since 1992.

The statement said President Bouteflika would have decided after consulting commanders of the Army and the Security Services to issue an amnesty on the favour of Islamist prisoners, except those involved in genocides, rape acts, and setting bombs in public spaces, as stipulated in the National Reconciliation Law, which has been endorsed by the majority of the people in the referendum of 29 September 2005.

The statement added that the amnesty is likely to be issued next 5 July, which coincides with celebrations of the Independence Day of Algeria.

The source said releasing those thousand prisoners “would comfort many of those who bore arms and would encourage them abandoning them.”