Ali Belhadj (Ali Belhadj)

Former Leader of the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS)

Date of Birth: 1965
Place of Birth: Tunis

Biography: High school teacher; Imam; imprisoned, 1983-87; Founding member, Islamic Salvation Front (FIS), 1989; imprisoned, 1991-2003; imprisoned, 2005-06

Commentary: One of Algeria's historic chiefs and prominent member of the Front Islamique du Salut (FIS), Ali Belhadj spent almost all of the Algerian civil war in prison. His release was allowed on the condition that he refrain from all political activity. After his release he evaded the police as he toured the mosques of Algiers and it was not long until he was under security service control in 2005.

He is a radical icon in the FIS, in 2007 he called upon Muslims to join the jihad in Iraq, 'In Algerian prisons there are many young people whose sole crime is to have left for Iraq to join the jihad and help it by methods authorised by Sharia'.
Political prohibitions were lifted from Belhadj in 2008, he was keen to stand in the presidential contest, and confident of his ability to gain votes.

His impact in January 2011 riots in Algiers were limited. We hear his efforts  to use the disturbances to get militants on to the streets – as he did after Algeria’s pivotal October 1988 riots – came to nothing.