An Algiers court on Sunday sentenced an opposition figure to two years behind bars on charges including insulting the president, a prisoners' rights group said. Fethi Ghares, coordinator of the small leftist Democratic and Social Movement party, was arrested in late June and his house was searched. The 47-year-old was sentenced "to two years in prison and a fine of 200 000 dinars (over $1 400)", the CNLD rights group said. A figure from Algeria's secular leftist opposition, Ghares in 2019 joined the pro-democracy Hirak movement - mass protests that swept veteran president Abdelaziz Bouteflika from power. More than 200 people are currently behind bars in relation to the Hirak, according to the CNLD.

Source: The North Africa Journal January 10, 2022 03:57 UTC