Algiers – In a ruling delivered this evening, the Bir Mourad Rais Court in Algiers sentenced journalist Saad Bouakba to a three-year suspended prison term and a fine of one million dinars. This verdict means Mr. Bouakba will be released from custody.
The court also handed down a one-year suspended sentence and a fine of 500,000 dinars to Harraoui Abdel Halim, the director of the “Rou’ya” platform. Furthermore, the court ordered the permanent closure of the platform and the confiscation of all its equipment.
Mr. Bouakba’s case revolves around accusations of “harming the symbols of the revolution.” The charges stemmed from statements he made regarding the financial dealings of the National Liberation Front (FLN). The daughter of the late Ahmed Ben Bella considered these statements defamatory to her father’s reputation and filed a lawsuit against him.
According to a previous statement from the Public Prosecutor, the interview contained “false, incorrect, and defamatory information affecting state symbols and the symbols of the National Liberation Revolution.” Bouakba allegedly claimed that FLN leaders “illegally shared party funds and deposited them in their personal accounts.”
Consequently, Mr. Bouakba was charged with insulting and defaming symbols of the National Liberation Revolution using information and communication technologies, as well as intentionally publishing and disseminating false or misleading news to the public. Mr. Harraoui Abdel Halim, as the director of the “Rou’ya” platform, faced the same charges of insulting and defaming national revolution symbols using information and communication technologies.
DZWatch will continue to follow this developing story.
