Brilliant future doctor arrested in Tlemcen
On February 2, 2025, the military regime of Algiers placed Charaf Eddine Talhaoui, a promising medical student and recognized representative of his peers at Tlemcen’s Faculty of Medicine, under provisional detention. He was reportedly taken into custody on January 28 near the student residence by individuals in civilian attire, with his whereabouts unknown to relatives for several days. Court documents cite allegations of “disseminating false information,” “disturbing public order,” and “harming the national interest.”
According to several colleagues we have interviewed, Talhaoui is regarded as a diligent student whose leadership emerged naturally from ongoing efforts to advance medical education and practice. All of these colleagues firmly repudiate the allegations against him, describing the claims of “disseminating false information,” “disturbing public order,” and “harming the national interest” as lacking any factual or legal foundation.
The medical students’ movement, which began in 2024, demands more residency positions, improved training conditions, and international recognition of Algerian medical diplomas, which the Algerian military authorities have blocked. Charaf Eddine Talhaoui, who comes from a good family in Tlemcen, a city known for its deep cultural heritage, intellectual traditions, and historical diplomatic role, has drawn additional attention to his case.
These proceedings unfold amid the military regime of Algiers’ heightened sensitivities regarding any form of protest or gathering. In 2025, eight individuals are identified as orchestrating what critics describe as the “capture” and “misappropriation” of the state: Mohamed Mediene, Said Chengriha, Abdelkader Haddad, Hamid Oublaïd, Djebbar Mehenna, Chafik Mesbah, Lotfi Nezzar, and Mahrez Djeribi. The regime, by its own admission, fears that another popular uprising could precipitate its downfall and internal collapse, much like what befell the oligarchy surrounding Abdelaziz Bouteflika in 2019 and Bashar al-Assad in Syria in December 2024.
By Abderrahmane Fares.
