Algerian scholar detained over controversial remarks about Amazigh identity

Algerian authorities have arrested academic Mohamed LamineBelghit following controversial remarks he made about the Amazigh people during an interview on Sky News Arabia, according to Morocco World News.

Belghit, speaking on the UAE-based news channel, described the Amazigh—North Africa’s indigenous population also known as Berbers—as a “Zionist-French ideological fabrication.” He further claimed they were “ancient Arabs of Phoenician origin,” sparking widespread backlash.

The remarks prompted legal action, with Belghit facing accusations of insulting national symbols, undermining national unity, and inciting hate speech and discrimination. He reportedly appeared before a judge on May 3.

The controversy has added fuel to ongoing diplomatic tensions between Algeria and the United Arab Emirates, which operates Sky News Arabia. In response to the incident, Algerian state media accused the UAE of overstepping “a series of red lines,” and called it an “artificial” state.

“Media incitement targeting Algerian identity will not pass without moral and popular accountability,” Algeria’s state broadcaster said in a statement.

Tensions between the two countries have simmered in recent years, with Algeria accusing the UAE of fueling conflicts in the Sahel region and allegedly pursuing regional instability to advance Israeli interests.