The Algiers Court of Appeal on Sunday (June 18th) increased the sentence imposed on press boss Ihsane el Kadi, by sentencing him to seven years in prison, including five years in prison, announced the representative for North Africa of Reporters. Without Borders (RSF), Khaled Drareni.
At first instance, Mr. El Kadi, prosecuted for “ foreign financing of his company “, had received April 2nd five years in prison, including three years in prison. ” A shocking and incomprehensible verdict “, wrote on Twitter the representative of RSF, Khaled Drareni, announcing the judicial decision on appeal.
During the appeal trial held on June 4, the public prosecutor had requested confirmation of the conviction at first instance of the press boss.
Mr. El Kadi, 63, leader of one of the last private and independent press groups in Algeria, Media Interface, -which includes Radio M and the news site Maghreb Emergent- is imprisoned since December 29. He is known for his critical positions with regard to the power in place. His arrest sparked a wave of solidarity among his colleagues and human rights activists in Algeria and Europe.
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⚡️#Algeria : unjust and shocking, the sentence of 7 years in prison, including 5 years, crowns a Kafkaesque police and judicial procedure and a relentlessness against the journalist 🇩🇿 Ihsane El Kadi.
RSF denounces this sentence and calls for his release.https://t.co/SPOPewLZNa— RSF (@RSF_inter) June 18, 2023
Mr. El Kadi is accused “ to have received sums of money and privileges from persons and organizations in the country and abroad in order to engage in activities likely to undermine the security of the State and its stability “, had then indicated the Court of Algiers.
The justice had also pronounced the dissolution of his company Interface Médias and the confiscation of all his property seized in addition to the fines against him and his companies.
In a resolution adopted on May 11, the European Parliament called for the “ immediate and unconditional release of the press boss and called on the Algerian authorities to respect the freedom of the media. The Algerian Parliament reacted to this position, describing it as “ gross interference in the affairs of a sovereign country “. He had expressed his categorical rejection ” of text ” filled with terrible untruths voted by MEPs.
Algeria is in 136th place out of 180 countries in the world press freedom ranking established by RSF in 2023.
The sentence is very heavy. The maximum sentence was seven years. In the file, there are not really elements constituting this offense (…) It is a decision which is not based on elements of law. Appealing to the Supreme Court is the only recourse we have left for the moment…
Master Zoubida Assoul
► To read also: Algeria: 2022, a “dark year” for journalism
(and with AFP)