On Wednesday, October 9, 2024, the Djelfa Court handed down a sentence of one year prison sentence without suspension, accompanied by a fine of 100,000 Algerian dinars, against blogger and human rights activist Tidjani Benderrah. The charges stem from his Facebook posts, considered by the authorities as potentially harmful to national interests, in accordance with Article 96 of the Penal Code.
Benderrah’s prosecution followed his arrest on the evening of Tuesday, October 8, 2024, at the entrance to Djelfa city, as he was returning from a medical trip to the capital, Algiers. He was promptly taken into custody at the regional security center in Djelfa and held overnight. The next day, he appeared before the public prosecutor at the Djelfa Court, who referred his case to immediate trial.
The origins of the case date back to December 18, 2023, when Benderrah was summoned and questioned by the Cybercrime Unit of the Judicial Police in Djelfa. The inquiry focused on Facebook posts in which he commented on President Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s visit to Djelfa on October 29, 2023.
This recent conviction adds to a series of harassment and judicial proceedings that the activist has endured for exercising his right to free expression. Despite repeated appeals from international organizations urging respect for this fundamental right, and recent UN recommendations calling on Algeria to adhere to its international commitments most recently on September 30, 2024,, when four UN experts, including the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Irene Khan, voiced their concerns the Algerian authorities persist in their repressive campaign against citizens seeking to peacefully exercise their right to speak out.
