Friday, 23 April, 2021 - 10:00
Algerians holding flags demonstrate against the authorities. File photo
Algiers - Asharq Al-Awsat
Algerian journalist and whistle-blower Noureddine Tounsi was sentenced Wednesday to a year in prison, one of his lawyers told AFP.
Detained since September, Tounsi had reported on social media on alleged wrongdoings at the port of Oran, in the country’s northwest.
Tounsi “was sentenced to a year behind bars by the court” in Oran, his lawyer Farid Khemisti wrote on Facebook.
Charges against him included “insulting the president of the republic” and “invasion of privacy,” local media reported.
However, he was acquitted of the charge of “communicating with foreign entities,” which would have led to his referral to a criminal court, the media added.