Revolutionary figure Yassef Saadi opens his heart to Echourouk

In a wide –ranging interview with Echourouk, one of the leaders of the “autonomous zone” , the revolutionary figure Yaseef Saadi has revealed that the General Charles De Gaulle has accepted his deal to stop beheading the Algerians sentenced to death, to spare the lives of the French colonials in return.

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• He has indicated that the General has stopped the execution of 235 Algerian freedom fighters upon his coming into power in August 1957.

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• Echourouk: How did the Algerian revolution deal with acts of torture and executions carried out by the French colonials against the Algerians?.

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• Saadi: Before being arrested in September 1957, a group of French Human Rights activists led by the archaeologist Germaine Tillon, paid a visit to Algeria with the aim to probe on the cases of torture against the Algerians in the French prisons. She lived in the Aures region for 14 years and fought against the Nazis’ colonialism in France and was arrested besides the General’s nephew.

• In the wake of the outbreak of the Algerian revolution in 1954, the General Soustel contacted her seeking for help but she has vehemently reacted and insulted him.

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• Echourouk: How did Germaine Tillon convince De Gaulle to stop executing the Algerian prisoners?

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• Saadi: Upon the arrival of the French delegation of Human Rights to Algiers, the militant Hamdi Khan got in touch with me and informed that Germaine, who used to be her teacher, asked her documents over torture practices perpetrated by the French soldiers against the Algerian prisoners. During our meeting, I have informed Germaine about the atrocities carried out by the French security forces against the Algerians to collect information in return.

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• I have asked her to struck a deal with the French officials, a kind of truce, we will stop targeting the French with our bombs provide that the stop executing our brothers in prisons. The General promised her he will stop beheading the Algerian prisoners once he reaches the supreme power.

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• Echourouk: going back to “ Algiers battle”, why did you resort to use bombs to blow up French targets?

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• Saadi: We have just retaliated to the French attacks where the terrorist organization” Red Hand” has exploded 35 bombs in Algiers before. One of them was blamed for the death 75 Algerians when a building was torn down in the upper “Casbah” in August 1956. We have promised our people to avenge their dead through a series of attacks against the” Black feet”.

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• We used ton hide the explosive devices in the fish bellies to avoid being detected by the French security forces.

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• Echourouk: Some say that you have tipped the French forces over the hideouts of “Ali la pointe “ while under torture, any comment?

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• Saadi: I have to assure that I wasn’t tortured by the French during my arrest, secondly the General Folk, who was among the 8 Generals who orchestrated my arrest, has already asserted that I didn’t disclose any name. Moreover, “ Oum Mahmoud”, the owner of the house where we hide had recorded her testimonies in 1963 where she related all the operation at that time .