ALGIERS, July 2 (IslamOnline.net) - Algerian authorities freed Wednesday, July 2, Abassi Madani, the leader of Algeria's Islamic Salvation Front (FIS), and his deputy Ali Belhadj.

Madani, 72, has been under house-arrest since 1997, while Belhadj, 47, has served 12 years in prison.

Mourad Dhina, the acting chief of the FIS, said in a statement, a copy of which was obtained by IslamOnlin.net that two Algerian officials had visited Madani in his father's house, where he was under house arrest, and asked him to sign his release papers.

He added that anther two Algerian officials also visited Belhadj for the same purpose.

However, former Algerian government minister Saida Benhabyles criticized the release of the two FIS leaders.

Interviewed by Al-Jazeera satellite channel, she argued that Madani and Belhaj "have not paid the price of their crimes against humnanity, which are still being committed against children, women and the elderly due to their fatwas."

"These fatwas had their impacts on the economy and different aspects of the Algerian life…We should mourn their release," she said.

The former minister also voiced concern that FIS activists might win in the coming elections, adding that in such case "we will be allowing criminals to rule our country."

The FIS party came to light in 1989 thanks to the 1988 constitutional amendments which allowed partisan plurality in the country.

The party was recognized by the Algerian government in March 1989 and run the first free elections in the country after its independence and achieved a landslide victory in 853 municipalities out of 1539 and 32 states out of 48.

It was banned in March 1992, two months after the army called off the second round of legislative elections which the Islamic party was poised to win.