Canadian man says Algeria punished his activism by arresting his son

A Montreal man says Algerian authorities haveretaliated againsthis political activismin Canada by imprisoninghis son in Algeria, and that the Canadian government has not helped.

Ammar Lakehaltold Radio-Canada that hisson Massinissa, who is not a Canadian citizen, has been detainedsinceJuly 27, apparently due tohis father's links to a politicalgroupbanned by Algeria.

Lakehal is one of a growing number of Canadian citizens of Kabyle origin who say they are being targeted byAlgerian authorities.

Kabylia is a Berber-speaking region of Algeria whose habitants have their own language and culture. Some KabylesincludingLakehaladvocate for the creation of an independent state.

In Canada, more than 37,000 people speak Kabyle, according to Statistics Canada.

Radio-Canada has learned theRoyal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has opened an investigation into allegations by citizens of Kabyleorigin who say they are the subject of intimidation by the Algerian authorities. In response to an information request, the RCMPsaid,"we cannot confirm or deny the existence of a criminal investigation before the laying of criminal charges."

The investigation is being conducted by the Integrated National Security Enforcement Team, the unit in charge of the foreign interference file, according to information obtained by Radio-Canada.

It was launched following a Radio-Canada/CBC report in June that revealed that members of this community had been surveilled and intimidated on Canadian soil.

Lakehal accuses Algerian authorities of targeting his son to silence his activism in Canada.

'Arrested for being my son'

A few days before Massinissa's arrest, the35-year-old called Lakehal from Algeria to tell him about a rumour that was circulating.

"It's difficult to hear your child say, 'Dad, I'm going to be arrested shortly and I know I am going to be tortured',"Lakehal recounted.

"He was arrested for being my son,"he said.

Lakehal has long campaigned forthe Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylia (MAK), and was the group'spresident of coordination for North America from 2018 to 2023.

He attended demonstrations in Canada and the United States demanding the release of political detainees in Algeria.

The Algerian State declared the MAK a terrorist entity in 2021. Anyone associated with thegroup risks imprisonment.

Canada and the United States do not consider the MAK a terrorist organization. In a 2022 report, the U.S. State Department said it considered Algeria's classification of the MAK "to have been more political than security related," observing that the MAK is highly critical of the Algerian government.

Father actual target

Massinissa is accused of promoting terrorist acts and of publishing online messages deemed against the national interest.

According to Lakehal, his sonis sympathetic to the independence movement, as are many Kabyles.Massinissa has also publicly denounced the incarceration of political detainees, but is not a MAK member, Lakehal said.

Sources in Algeria have confirmed to Radio-Canada thatLakehal's activism was the main reason for his son's arrest.

"Do these judges have children? Do they have a heart? Do they have families?"Lakehalasked. "How do you send a man or woman to prison for their peaceful ideas? How do they agree to put someone in prison because he is someone's son? There are things happening in that country that are terrifying."

The Algerian Embassy in Ottawa, the Algerian Consulate in Montreal and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Algiers did not respond to Radio-Canada requests for interviews or statements.

Amnesty International denouncedhuman rights violations in Algeria ahead of last week'spresidential election, won by incumbentAbdelmadjid Tebbounewith 94 per cent of the vote.

"Algerian authorities have maintained their repression of civic space by continuing their brutal crackdown on human rights including the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association in the run up to the country's presidential elections scheduled to be held on 7 September," the human rights watchdog said.

"Algerian authorities have persisted in using bogus terrorism charges to silence peaceful dissent," it continued.

Trudeau failsto intervene

"Global Affairs Canada is aware of the case of Mr. Lakehal and his son," the departmentwrote in response to questions from Radio-Canada.

Asked if Canada would intervenewith Algerian authorities, the department said: "We maintain long-standing bilateral relations with Algeria, which allows us, among other things, to engage in discussions with the Algerian government on issues of importance to Canada, including human rights."

When Lakehalwrote to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, he received a different response.

AfterAlgerian authorities did not respond tohis letter asking to speak with his son and condemning his arrest, Lakehal wrote to Trudeau on Aug. 13.

"If I am writing to you today, it's to ask you to intervene with the Algerian authorities to stop this injustice, but also to allow me as a father to get in touch with my son," he asked.

He was deeply disappointed by the response he received from a spokesperson for the prime minister.

"I understand that your son is not a Canadian citizen. You will therefore understand that Mr. Trudeau cannot get involved in a matter that concerns the administration of a foreign country with regard to its citizens," she explained. "I regret that my response cannot be favourable."

Widespread interference

The Prime Minister's answer "strikes me as false",said Phil Gurski, a former senior strategic analyst at the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS).

"The fact that we have a Canadian citizen whose son has been imprisoned, I would think that the government would have a justification and I would say a necessity, an obligation to try to help this man and his son who's been in prison in Algeria," he said.

Gurski notes that Canada intervenes regularly to help nationals of other countries, such as refugees.

Lakehal's case is part of a widerphenomenon of authoritarian governments targeting their diaspora in Canada, according to Gurski, who is a digital fellow at the Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies at Concordia University.

Gurski and his colleagues have written a report on transnational repression in Canada set to be published this fall.

"The Trudeau government is not doing enough to protect Canadians from the threats and harassment of foreign governments," he said.

"We saw it with Chinese interference.The government knew about it, but did nothing,"said Gurski. "It may be hesitant to approach certain regimes for fear of damaging our diplomatic or trade relationship with those countries."

Meanwhile, Lakehal still has not spoken withhis son since his incarcerationa month-and-a-half ago.

"I want to hear his voice," he said with tears in his eyes.