Former Moroccan journalist and Human Rights Watch official Ahmed Reda Benchemsi is not allowed in Algeria. The Advocacy and Communications Director for Human Rights Watch's Middle East and North Africa division will be expelled from the neighboring country, following the instructions of the Algiers prosecutor's office. According to several Algerian newspapers, which quote Ennahar TV channel, Benchemsi had allegedly «entered Algeria without receiving an official authorization to act as a representative from an American Organization». The same source explains that «the findings of the first investigation indicate that having Ahmed Reda Benchemsi in Algeria is part of a foreign plan, aimed at infiltrating the Hirak movement» that has been shaking the country for months. For the record, Benchemsi was arrested on August 9 in Algiers and was released shortly after.
