On Tuesday, 21 July 2026, the Algiers Court of Appeal upheld the conviction of Fethi Ghares, National Coordinator of the Socialist Democratic Movement (MDS), sentencing him to two years’ imprisonment and a fine of 300,000 Algerian dinars.
The initial judgment had been issued by the Hussein Dey Court in Algiers on 21 October 2025, following media statements in which Ghares criticized remarks made by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
Ghares was prosecuted on charges of “insulting a constituted body” under Article 146 of the Algerian Penal Code and “disseminating false information likely to undermine public order and public safety” under Article 196 bis of the same Code.
The Court of Appeal’s decision comes only days after President Abdelmadjid Tebboune declared that the opposition is welcome in Algeria and that every Algerian has the right to criticize public policies and propose alternatives, provided such opposition remains, in his words, “civilized” and based on ideas.
However, sentencing a leading opposition figure to imprisonment for political statements criticizing the President exposes a stark contradiction between official rhetoric and actual practice. Genuine political pluralism cannot exist while peaceful criticism of those in power is criminalized and vague criminal provisions such as “insulting a constituted body” and “disseminating false information” are used to restrict freedom of expression.
The conviction of Fethi Ghares targets not only him personally but also sends an intimidating message to political actors across the country: criticizing those in power may result in criminal prosecution and imprisonment. Such a message reinforces a climate of fear and undermines the foundations of political pluralism and the freedom to engage in peaceful political activity. This renders official claims of openness, dialogue, and acceptance of opposition devoid of credibility, since the true measure of political openness lies in ensuring that opposition figures can express their views and organize freely without fear of prosecution or punishment.
There can be no meaningful claim that the opposition is welcome while one of its leading figures is imprisoned for expressing his political views. Likewise, official discourse on political openness loses its credibility when peaceful criticism continues to be met with criminal prosecution and prison sentences.
