An Algerian court on Tuesday sentenced an Algerian-Canadian researcher and Algerian journalist each to two years in prison, one of their lawyers said. Raouf Farrah, 36, and Mustapha Bendjama, 32, were convicted of publishing classified information by the court in the eastern city of Constantine, said attorney Kouceila Zerguine, who represents Farrah. Farrah was also found guilty of receiving funds “with the intention of committing acts that could undermine public order”, the lawyer said on Facebook.
“They have both been sentenced to two years in prison,” said Zerguine, noting they had already been behind bars for more than six months and that they would appeal the rulings.
Journalist Mustapha Bendjama
Farrah, a research analyst for the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC), was arrested on February 14 at his parents’ home in Annaba, an eastern port city. GI-TOC has launched an international campaign rallying for his release, posting Farrah’s photo and a countdown of the days and hours he has been imprisoned on their website. The researcher is married to a Canadian woman and has a four-year-old daughter.
Bendjama is the editor-in-chief of Le Provincial, a privately owned newspaper based in Annaba. He has been implicated in several cases since he became involved in the pro-democracy Hirak movement in 2019. The journalist was arrested on February 8 at his newspaper and accused of helping French-Algerian political activist Amira Bouraoui to travel from Algeria via Tunisia two days earlier, despite being barred from leaving the country.
The Bouraoui case, described by the Algerian government as “illegal exfiltration”, led to diplomatic tensions with France that have recently been resolved. The trial of Bendjama and others accused of aiding the activist will be held separately at a date yet to be determined.
