Speaking to a packed audience of journalists, academics, and students in the late Dr. Mohamed Talal Hall, Aboud did not mince words, labeling the Algerian government a “regime of thugs” (العرايا).
From Revolutionary Dream to Mafia Dictatorship
Aboud delivered an uncompromising indictment. He traced Algeria’s trajectory from the era of Houari Boumédiène, when it was considered “the Mecca of revolutionaries,” to today, which he described as “the graveyard of revolutionaries.” He directly accused the generals, the true rulers of the country, of ruining the economy, dismantling the state, and confiscating the sovereignty of the people.
A Nation Turned into an Open-Air Prison
The exiled journalist condemned a regime that tramples its own Constitution, bans peaceful dissent, and criminalizes even demonstrations of solidarity with the Palestinian cause. He depicted contemporary Algeria as “a vast prison,” where fundamental freedoms are obliterated and any dissenting voice is systematically silenced.
The Reign of Dirty Money and Trafficking
Going further, Aboud asserted that Algeria is now riddled with drug and currency trafficking, citing numerous investigations buried by the authorities to protect ruling clans. For him, the country is under the control of military and financial mafias that use repression to conceal their plunder.
A Chilling Testimony
“The Kingdom of Morocco has chosen the path of democracy and progress, while Algeria sinks into dictatorship and bankruptcy,” Aboud proclaimed to sustained applause. He concluded with a direct appeal to Algerian youth, urging them not to be manipulated by a junta he describes as “an illegitimate power, without faith or law.”
With courage and conviction, Hichem Aboud stressed that the era of lies is over, and that Algeria can only regain its dignity by freeing itself from what he calls, without hesitation, “the regime of thugs.”
Editorial team/le7tv