Khaberni - A month after the mystery and conjecture about his purported escape to Spain, media sources revealed that Algerian security arrested the ousted intelligence director, Abdelkader Haddad, also known as "Naser Al-Jan," who has been jailed in a military prison since last Wednesday.
Last Thursday, an Algerian Youtuber living abroad posted on his social media account announcing "Naser Al-Jan's arrest and his presentation to military court." This Youtuber, who is known recently for his harsh criticisms of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, was the first to report that the former head of internal security had "fled house arrest" last month after being dismissed from his position for unknown reasons.
The French magazine "Le Point" wrote in its latest issue published Saturday, "according to information we obtained," that "General Haddad (56 years old) was on his way Wednesday afternoon to the office of his successor, General Abdelkader Ait Ouarabi, also known as Hassan, when he was stopped by elements of the internal security apparatus," pointing out that he was taken to pretrial detention the same day, after being presented to the public prosecutor at the military court in Blida (50 km south of the capital), where the military prison is located, which houses about 20 generals, army officers, and intelligence agents serving sentences in cases of 'corruption, embezzlement, and threats to state security'.
An earthquake in the presidency and the army
"Le Point," which is commercially banned in Algeria due to its editorial stance towards its government, stated that Naser's arrest "is the conclusion of a chapter lasting 28 days filled with rumors and conjectures about the reasons and circumstances of his escape, and the location where he might have hidden, whether inside Algeria or abroad," noting that his alleged escape fed his image as a "ghost" or an "untouchable devil." Earlier reports were conflicting, with some stating he had fled to Spain, and others affirming his arrest by Algerian intelligence, and rumors circulated that he had voluntarily surrendered to the authorities.
According to the magazine, "his supposed escape caused a state of panic at the highest echelons of the state, mobilizing Algerian, Spanish, French, and Moroccan intelligence agencies," highlighting that "the absolute silence imposed by the Algerian authorities on this case, of significant security dimension, only contributed to amplifying the rumors and deepening the mystery. It can be said that the Naser Al-Jan affair has indeed shaken the presidency, the army leadership, and the intelligence agencies. This incident will leave lasting effects as it exposed security loopholes, divisions, vulnerabilities, and conflicts (...)"
The Spanish newspaper "El Confidencial" reported on September 28, citing "its sources," that Haddad arrived on the night of September 18 to 19 in the coastal town of Alicante on a migrant boat, fleeing house arrest. The newspaper also claimed that the general stated upon arrival that he fled "fearing imminent execution, which might be portrayed as suicide," and mentioned that he owns properties in Spain, where he had previously lived between 2015 and 2019, fleeing prosecution by the late army chief of staff, Gaed Salah.
In contrast, the Algerian newspapers "El Khabar" and "Le Soir d'Algérie" categorically denied his escape to Spain, considering the "El Confidencial" report "a compilation of false news" and "part of a propaganda campaign aiming to tarnish Algeria’s image and destabilize its security institutions."
Despite their denial of his escape to Spain, both newspapers did not directly refute the issue of his departure from house arrest within Algeria. At the same time, the Algerian authorities have not issued any official statement confirming or denying the general’s escape or arrest, further deepening the mystery and opening the door to a flood of interpretations on social networks, particularly from Algerian activists abroad who are believed to be connected to leaks from inside the regime.
