Islamist on the loose
The week's news at a glance.
Algiers, Algeria
Ali Belhadj, the former No. 2 official of the militant Islamic Salvation Front, was released from an Algerian prison this week as part of a general amnesty. Belhadj was jailed last year on what many Algerians considered flimsy charges after he went on Al-Jazeera and praised the Iraqi insurgency. He had already served 12 years in prison for helping to lead a grisly uprising in 1992 that killed some 150,000 people. The Salvation Front led the revolt after its win in the first round of Algeria’s first multiparty elections prompted the army to cancel the second round. Hundreds of cheering supporters surrounded Belhadj as he left prison this week. The Algerian daily Liberté said the Islamic extremists consider his release “a great political victory.”
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Selfies ban in art galleries: a sign of the times?
Talking Point Priceless art has been damaged by visitors desperate to take a snap with star attractions, leading some galleries and museums to start fighting back
-
Quiz of The Week: 21 – 27 June
Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
-
The Week Unwrapped: How do you turn plastics into paracetamol?
Podcast Plus, what is the Wagner Group doing now? And why is it so hard to find a job after university?