(Montreal) The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) said on Monday that one of its members, Lazhar Zouaïma, was arrested in Algeria, and called on the federal government to do “everything in its power to quickly repatriate this citizen Canadian “.
Posted yesterday at 5:06 p.m.
According to the union, the Hydro-Quebec employee was targeted for political reasons. “According to the information we have received, everything leads us to believe that it is his support for the demands of the Algerian population, in favor of the establishment of a democratic state of law and against the corrupt ruling class, which is the real reason for his arrest,” argued the president of the CUPE-affiliated Hydro-Québec Technologists Union, Robert Claveau, in a press release.
Mr. Zouaïma publicly displayed his opposition to the “abuse of power” of the Algerian government on social networks and during demonstrations, from Montreal.
“We want to add our voice to those who speak out against these arrests and human rights abuses. We support our colleague, his wife and his family who are seeking justice,” added union president for the Montreal region, Francis Rondeau.
Mr. Zouaïma was intercepted at the airport on February 19, when he was trying to return to Canada after three weeks in Algeria to visit his family.