On Tuesday, 7 July 2026, the Tenth Criminal Chamber of the Algiers Court of Appeal issued its judgment in the case of journalist and writer Saad Bouakba, upholding his conviction while reducing his sentence to 18 months’ suspended imprisonment and confirming the fine of one million Algerian dinars, following the appeal hearing held on 9 June 2026.
The ruling reduced the sentence imposed by the Bir Mourad Raïs Court on 4 December 2025, which had sentenced Bouakba to three years’ suspended imprisonment and a fine of one million Algerian dinars.
Bouakba had been placed in pre-trial detention on 27 November 2025, following his appearance before the public prosecutor under immediate appearance procedures. His prosecution followed statements made during a podcast broadcast by the online channel Vision, in which he discussed historical events and figures of Algeria’s War of Independence and former state officials.
Bouakba was prosecuted on charges of insulting and defaming symbols of the National Liberation Revolution through information and communication technologies, and deliberately disseminating false or misleading information to the public, pursuant to Articles 148 bis 1, 196 bis, and 333 bis 6 of the Algerian Penal Code. The case arose from a complaint filed by the family of former Algerian President Ahmed Ben Bella concerning remarks about the management and distribution of National Liberation Front (FLN) funds following independence.
Despite the reduction of the sentence, the case continues to raise concerns about the use of criminal law to prosecute journalists for expressing opinions or discussing historical and public interest issues. UN experts and international human rights organizations have repeatedly called on Algeria to review legislation used to restrict freedom of expression and press freedom and to ensure that criminal proceedings are not used to suppress public debate.
The case also raises additional concerns given that the first-instance judgment ordered the permanent closure of Vision TV and the confiscation of its equipment, a measure widely viewed as having a serious impact on media freedom and pluralism, even though the appeal judgment was limited to reducing the sentence imposed on Saad Bouakba.
