An Algerian journalist and whistleblower were each sentenced on Tuesday, November 24 to one year in prison by a court in Oran (north-west), their lawyer, Farid Khemisti, said.
Saïd Boudour, journalist and activist of the Algerian League for the Defense of Human Rights (LADDH), and Nourredine Tounsi, whistleblower, were "
sentenced by default to imprisonment
", said the lawyer on his Facebook page.
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Mr. Boudour was prosecuted in particular for "
undermining the morale of the army for his publications on Facebook
", while his co-defendant had to answer for "
intelligence with agents of a foreign power
", without further details, according to reports. local media.
The two defendants did not attend their trial which was held on October 27, the judge having refused the extraction from prison of Mr. Tounsi, in detention since September in Oran, specified the National Committee for the release of prisoners (CNLD), an association supporting prisoners of conscience.
The prosecution had requested two years in prison against them.
In another defamation trial, Noureddine Tounsi, the whistleblower, was sentenced Tuesday by default to six months in prison, according to the CNLD.
The Algerian authorities have for months been targeting activists, political opponents, journalists and Internet users, increasing the number of arrests, legal proceedings and convictions, in order to prevent a resumption of the “
Hirak
”, the anti-regime protest movement, suspended by the health crisis.
According to the CNLD, some 90 people are currently in prison for facts related to the protest in Algeria, most of them for posts on Facebook.
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