Algerian Islamic leader released after 24-hour detention

The Algerian authorities have released a senior leader of the outlawed political party, the Islamic Salvation Front, who was detained on Tuesday.

The man, Abdelkader Hachani, was held after giving a series of interviews to European newspapers, in which he proposed a national reconciliation conference, to be followed by an inquiry into the political violence of the last few years.

He also suggested that the international community should use its influence to persuade the Algerian government to hold talks with all political parties, including his own.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service