Event Summary
Academic Tahar Ouhachi, PhD in sociology and lecturer at the University of Bouzaréah, was arrested by the security services on 15 February 2026, before being brought before the public prosecutor at the El Affroun court. He was remanded in custody on charges related to critical expression and his independent research activities, according to several national and international media sources. The charges, which have not been publicly detailed, appear to fall into categories frequently used against academics and dissident voices: “disturbing public order”, “publications harming the national interest” or “incitement”, in a context where socio-political analysis can be interpreted as subversive.
The case has caused considerable concern among civil society, independent media and the academic community. Several platforms have emphasised that his arrest reflects a tightening of control over academics and the public sphere, and is part of a broader climate of restrictions on academic freedom, freedom of expression and citizen participation. The case once again highlights the vulnerability of researchers who criticise political or institutional dynamics, and the persistent tendency to criminalise the production of knowledge as soon as it diverges from official narratives.