On Tuesday, 27 October 2026, the Médéa Court of Appeal issued a ruling against activist Chawki Younsi, sentencing him to one year of imprisonment and a fine of 100,000 Algerian dinars, over social media posts in which he expressed his political views and solidarity with prisoners of conscience in Algeria.
The ruling followed an appeal against the initial judgment issued by the Médéa Court on 7 June 2026, which had sentenced him to six months of suspended imprisonment and a fine of 20,000 Algerian dinars. The Court of Appeal thus increased his sentence from a suspended prison term to an effective custodial sentence over posts related to the expression of his opinions.
Chawki Younsi was prosecuted on the misdemeanor charge of “displaying publications likely to harm the national interest,” under Article 96 of the Algerian Penal Code, in connection with posts he shared on Facebook and TikTok calling for solidarity with and support for prisoners of conscience. He also described himself on his Facebook profile using the expressions “Activist and Opposition Figure” and “The Hirak is an idea, and ideas never die.”
The case dates back to 16 March 2025, when Chawki Younsi was arrested at his workplace by the Regional Judicial Investigation Unit in Blida. He was subsequently subjected to a search of his electronic devices and questioned as part of an investigation into his social media activities, before being placed under **judicial supervision on 18 March 2025.
The increased sentence on appeal, converting a suspended prison term into an effective prison sentence, highlights the serious implications of imposing custodial penalties in cases involving the peaceful expression of political opinions and solidarity with prisoners of conscience, as well as the potential restrictions such measures place on freedom of expression and participation in public debate.
SHOAA for Human Rights considers the imprisonment of activists for their peaceful social media posts and political views a violation of freedom of expression. The organization emphasizes that solidarity with prisoners of conscience, criticism of political conditions, and expressions of hope for change should not constitute grounds for deprivation of liberty. It calls for the annulment of judgments arising from the peaceful exercise of this right and an end to the use of criminal legislation to prosecute individuals holding opposing views.
