Algerian supreme court to hear journalist’s appeal

Algeria’s Supreme Court will hear an appeal to the arrest of popular journalist Khaled Drareni today.

Drareni had previously been detained and warned by police to cease his coverage of the pro-democratic Hirak protests, which ousted former president Abdelaziz Bouteflika from office. Following Drareni’s arrest on March 7, 2020, he was sentenced to two years in prison on August 10 for “endangering the integrity of the national territory” and “inciting unarmed gatherings” after sharing social media posts calling for a general strike and election boycott. After significant outcry from international human rights and journalist groups, he was released on February 19 pending appeal.

With the Hirak protests ongoing, Algiers has drawn sharp criticism from the UN for its crackdown on dissenters. Current President Abdelmadjid Tebboune served in his predecessor’s administration and won office via a widely-boycotted 2019 election. In 2020, Algeria was ranked 146 out of 180 countries based on freedom of the press. Expect Drareni’s appeal to result in a reduced sentence, with probation measures and/or house arrest a likely outcome. Tebboune has offered pardons to jailed actors under condition of silence against the government, but protests will likely continue until he leaves office.

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