Algeria's independent election authority has barred several former activists associated with the country's 2019 Hirak protest movement from standing in next month's parliamentary elections, despite their attempts to participate through both pro-government and opposition parties.
The exclusions have fuelled criticism from activists and observers who argue that former Hirak figures continue to face obstacles to political participation, even after choosing to engage through formal political avenues rather than street protests.
Among the most prominent figures rejected was lawyer Hashem Sassi, a leading Hirak activist from Batna in eastern Algeria, who had been selected to head the National Democratic Rally (RND) list in his province.
The RND is one of Algeria's main pro-government parties.
Sassi's exclusion surprised supporters and fellow activists, particularly as he had joined the party less than a year ago and was later appointed an adviser to its secretary-general.
Since the Hirak movement, Sassi has publicly supported electoral participation and advocated political engagement through parties and institutions.
In a video published on Thursday, Sassi confirmed he would not be running in the parliamentary elections scheduled for 2 July. While he pledged to continue campaigning for the RND list in Batna, he expressed disappointment.
Another prominent Hirak figure, Samir Belarbi, also had his candidacy rejected. Belarbi, who became known during the 2019 protest movement and later faced legal proceedings linked to his political positions, had sought to stand as a candidate for the Justice and Development Front.
"We wanted to contribute to political work in a peaceful and organised framework," Belarbi told The New Arab .
"But the authorities relied on considerations linked to Article 200 of the electoral law. The decision rejecting my case stated that the required conditions had not been met and that I was linked to suspicious activities, without specifying the nature of those activities."
The election authority further rejected the candidacy of activist Ibek Abdelmalek, who was active in the Committee for the Defence of the Unemployed in the southern province of Ouargla before the Hirak movement, and later emerged as one of the protest movement's most prominent local figures.
After joining the Socialist Forces Front (FFS), Abdelmalek helped gather the signatures needed to submit a party list in Ouargla and hoped to use parliament as a platform to advance causes he had campaigned on for years.
In a statement announcing his candidacy, Abdelmalek described the move as a "new step in the struggle", aimed at bringing years of activism, from unemployment campaigns and opposition to shale gas projects to wider grassroots movements, into parliament.
However, his candidacy was ultimately rejected on the grounds of "suspicions of involvement in suspicious activities affecting the ethics of political work".
The same fate befell activist and blogger Hamza Berkani, who was involved in youth coalitions and unemployment campaigns before the Hirak movement and later became known for his criticism of Algeria's political situation during the protests.
After a brief period in the Union for Democratic Forces party, Berkani sought to stand in the parliamentary elections on a Justice and Development Front list, but his candidacy was rejected for similar reasons.
Observers of Algerian politics say the exclusions highlight official concerns about critical voices and raise questions about the willingness of authorities to integrate former Hirak activists into the country's formal political system.
The parliamentary elections are scheduled to take place on 2 July amid broader debates over political participation, representation and the future role of activists who emerged during the mass protests that swept Algeria in 2019.