Algiers, January 9, 2026 – The trial of Yaqoub Belhaceni, accused of posing as a high-ranking military general, has been adjourned by the Criminal Court of Dar El Beida until the next criminal session. Belhaceni, dubbed the “Fake General” by local media, appeared in court yesterday, Thursday, alongside a second defendant identified as Z. Mesbah.
The court decided to postpone the proceedings until the end of the current criminal session, according to reports. Belhaceni faces a litany of serious charges across two separate cases.
In the first case, he is accused of joining and participating in associations, organizations, and groups with terrorist and destructive objectives, a crime punishable under Article 87 bis of the Penal Code. He also faces charges of inciting and financing terrorist acts, using a title related to a legally regulated profession and a status whose conditions are determined by public authorities, receiving funds from abroad within a group or organization to carry out acts that could harm state security, national unity, and territorial integrity, fraud, and participation in fraud.
The second case accuses him of joining a terrorist group operating abroad and targeting Algerian interests, committing terrorist acts aimed at attacking means of transportation, deliberately obstructing the navigation and safety of an aircraft, and intentionally providing false information knowing that it could endanger the safety of an aircraft in flight.
The co-defendant, Z. Mesbah, is charged with inciting and financing terrorist acts, receiving funds from abroad within a group or organization to carry out acts that could harm state security, national unity, and territorial integrity, and participation in fraud.
Belhaceni has a history of convictions for fraud and telephone scams targeting influential state officials, well-known political figures in high positions, executives, diplomats, and public bodies. He allegedly extorted money from his victims by impersonating civilian and military authorities, promising promotions and positions of responsibility in exchange for financial payments.
