Algeria opposition figure jailed two years for insulting president

An Algerian tribunal connected Tuesday sentenced absorption fig Fethi Ghares to 2 years successful situation implicit a Facebook station judged to person insulted President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, his lawyer told AFP.

Ghares, a secular leftist absorption figure, was sentenced “to 2 years successful situation for remarks concerning the president”, lawyer Abdelghani Badi said.

He said the tribunal did not bid Ghares’s contiguous detention, adding that the defence squad volition record an appeal.

Badi said Ghares, who is not successful custody, did not be the hearing.

Lawyer Fetta Sadat, different subordinate of his defence, wrote connected Facebook that Ghares was besides ordered to wage a good of 300,000 dinars ($2,300), adding that prosecutors had sought a three-year condemnation and the aforesaid fine.

Sadat said Ghares was tried connected charges of “insulting a authorities institution” and “spreading mendacious oregon malicious accusation apt to harm nationalist bid oregon security”.

Ghares, 50, had already been convicted successful different lawsuit successful May past twelvemonth connected akin charges and sentenced to 1 twelvemonth successful prison, though helium was not jailed pending entreaty to the Supreme Court.

He has antecedently been arrested successful 2021 and was aboriginal sentenced to situation connected charges including insulting the president.

All charges, including the astir caller ones, stemmed from posts helium made connected Facebook.

A fig from Algeria’s secular leftist opposition, Ghares successful 2019 joined the pro-democracy Hirak question — wide protests that swept seasoned president Abdelaziz Bouteflika from power.

His Democratic and Social Movement enactment — successor of the Algerian Communist Party — was banished successful February 2023.

AFP

The station Algeria absorption fig jailed 2 years for insulting president appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.