By joining our Readers' community, you can access this feature. By joining our Readers, you join a community of like-minded people, thirsty to discuss shared or not! With these words, year-old minor Said Chetouane yelled out in tears as soon as he left a police station in Algiers.
When he was arrested at the end of a popular demonstration, he had not imagined that his thin body would turn into a political game, in which each side sought to settle their accounts with others at the expense of his violated body.
The story of Chetouane is telling of the political power struggles that know no mercy in Algeria. In the video, Tadjadit called on citizens to revolt against the ruling regime, in outrage at the rape of men. Within hours after the video was first broadcasted, the clip had spread like wildfire on social media, triggering a wave of angry reactions, the echo of which went beyond the borders of Algeria.
The protesters of the movement quickly took to the streets, raising banners denouncing the suppression and brutality of security forces in dealing with the boy. A group of lawyers and media figures also entered the narrative, calling on the Public Prosecution to act and open an immediate investigation into the circumstances of the case, in order to uncover the truth and inform the public opinion of the details of the incident.
They indicated that what happened to young Chetouane is a full-fledged crime, the perpetrators of which must be punished. During his trial, Naqish announced that he had been subjected to sexual assault through anal penetration by broomstick at the hands of security services during the interrogation — in an announcement that caused a major uproar at the time.
