Madanai, Balhah released

The Algerian authorities yesterday released the last of the imprisoned leaders of the Islamic Front for Salvation ( al-Jabha al-Islameyah Le alinqaz ), Abbasi Madani and Ali Balhah, who completed a 12- year sentence imprisonment over "violating state security," following the abrogation of legislative elections in 1992, which the front was about to win at the time.

Despite the fact that the authorities hope this step will furnish for national reconciliation in Algeria, but they remind the two men that they are banned from practicing any political activity. A matter which was approved by Madani and rejected by Balhah, promising his partisans he will meet them very soon, while their lawyers predicted they will return back "politically," before the presidential elections which will be held in April 2004.

The two men were released Wednesday morning and the leader of the front Abbasi Madani ( 72 year old) who was under house arrest in Algiers since 1997 was notified on that in a decision issued by the military court attorney in al-Bleida ( 50 km to the south of the capital). The second man in the front, Ali Balhah, was released simultaneously from the military jail in al-Bleida in the same decision, as confirmed by the lawyer of the two men Abdul Nour Ali Yahya.

After his release, Balhah went to his house in al-Qubbah for prayers. He was received by one hundred of his partisans and promised them to "meet very soon." He then visited Abbasi Madani at his house for half an hour.