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Dadparvar
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An Algerian court on Monday sentenced journalist Khaled Drareni to three years in prison for speaking out against the government.
Drareni, who is well known in Algeria and has a twitter account of roughly 150,000 followers, reported on the Hirak protest movement, where Algerians are speaking out against the rule of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and his ascension to the office through a rigged election.
At trial, prosecutors used evidence of a Facebook post where Drareni expressed dissatisfaction with the current administration and showed support for a general strike. The court found that his comment “endanger[ed] national unity” and “incit[ed] an unarmed gathering.”
Drareni has been in jail since March. His attorneys issued a statement declaring, “All he did was give information, in words and images. He did nothing more than his work as a journalist.”
Some state that Drareni’s sentencing is reflective of the anti-press governance in Algeria. A 2016 Freedom House report designates the country’s press status as “not free.” Although the Algerian constitution guarantees a right of freedom of expression, the government operates state-run television, controls newspapers, and oversees online communication.
Reporters Without Borders, an international nonprofit that defends the right to share information, spoke out against Drareni’s sentencing and stated he should be released.
The post Algeria court sentences journalist to three years in prison appeared first on JURIST - News - Legal News & Commentary.
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Drareni, who is well known in Algeria and has a twitter account of roughly 150,000 followers, reported on the Hirak protest movement, where Algerians are speaking out against the rule of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and his ascension to the office through a rigged election.
At trial, prosecutors used evidence of a Facebook post where Drareni expressed dissatisfaction with the current administration and showed support for a general strike. The court found that his comment “endanger[ed] national unity” and “incit[ed] an unarmed gathering.”
Drareni has been in jail since March. His attorneys issued a statement declaring, “All he did was give information, in words and images. He did nothing more than his work as a journalist.”
Some state that Drareni’s sentencing is reflective of the anti-press governance in Algeria. A 2016 Freedom House report designates the country’s press status as “not free.” Although the Algerian constitution guarantees a right of freedom of expression, the government operates state-run television, controls newspapers, and oversees online communication.
Reporters Without Borders, an international nonprofit that defends the right to share information, spoke out against Drareni’s sentencing and stated he should be released.
The post Algeria court sentences journalist to three years in prison appeared first on JURIST - News - Legal News & Commentary.
Continue reading...
Note: We don't have any responsibilities about this news. Its been posted here by Feed Reader and we had no controls and checking on it. And because News posted here will be deleted automatically after 21 days, threads are closed so that no one spend time to post and discuss here. You can always check the source and discuss in their site.