An Algerian military court ordered the provisional detention of a former national police chief, Farid Bencheikh, who carried the title of Director General of National Security. The arrest was commented by many observers of the Algerian political scene, because Bencheikh is known for being close to the presidential inner circle, adding a dramatic political dimension to the arrest. The court is accusing him of conspiring against Algerian state institutions, having allegedly “collaborated with French officials and foreign activists,” according to media accounts. Bencheikh stands accused of “coordinating media attacks against the presidency and the Algerian army.” Involved in this affair is a journalist from the major Algiers daily El Watan, nicknamed “the general,” known for her proximity to a rival clan headed by former intelligence chief, General Toufik Medienne, who used led the DRS (Algerian intelligence service) for some 25 years before he was dismissed in 2015 by the late President Bouteflika.
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