Algeria: Sentenced to 10 years on blogger accused of collaborating with Israel

Algeria: Sentenced to 10 years on blogger accused of collaborating with Israel
His lawyer confirms that the charges are not substantiated and Amnesty International believes that the blogger exercised his rights guaranteed by law
Algerian lawyer and lawmaker Saleh Debouz said yesterday the verdict against his client, blogger Marzouq Touati, for 10 years in prison was harsh, especially since the charges against his client are not substantiated and that the charge is based on a load of emotions. That he will appeal to the criminal court in Bejaia after confirming his client's desire to appeal.
He added in a statement to «Al-Quds Al-Arabi» that the sentence issued against his client is harsh and does not correspond to the facts that have been adapted on the basis of serious heavy charges, such as contact with Israel, explaining that without going into many details, any issue related to the communication with a foreign party , The intelligence on which it operates, the evidence that the Code of Criminal Procedure speaks of the role of military security, which has the capacity of judicial control, and this device is that says that one person or another involved in contact with a foreign party, to provide evidence that condemns him, but it is inconceivable that A policeman who does not know the meaning of communication and how to prove it is the one who is dealing with an issue on this To the degree of risk, and note in the case that the Marzouk Touati intelligence is completely absent, while this area Takhs.
The second criterion in the case of communication was that the accused had leaked confidential information in the security, economic or diplomatic field that would harm the interests of Algeria. This is the interpretation of the Algerian law on communications, explaining that he had asked the court in its pleadings to provide evidence of confidential information Blogger Marzouq Touati leaked it and identified the damage it caused, but no classified information or damage was found.
He stated that he had asked the court to return the case to the investigation because the persons mentioned in the file had offered money to Marzouq Touati in exchange for sedition in the Ghardaïa area between the Malakis and Ibadis, while those persons had not been sought or summoned, while they were the real criminals , Even if they hide behind pseudonyms.
"We are all against Israel, but there is no communication about the issue of my client," said Saleh Dabouz. "Holding a video interview with an Israeli official does not mean that he is talking to Israel against his country, Algeria."
He stressed that the judge asked his client about the goal of interviewing an Israeli official. He replied that the former Minister of Housing, Abdel Majeed Tabbun, said in press statements that Israel stands behind the demonstrations that Algeria experienced in the beginning of 2017. He wanted to verify the minister's statement by interviewing With an Israeli official and ask him questions on the subject, does the minister speak as he pleases and the citizen when he wants to verify the validity of this information finds himself in prison? Doubt wonders.
He explained that his client proved to the court that he was intelligent and that he knew how to ask questions. When the judge asked him why he had interviewed an Israeli official, while this was legally forbidden, he replied that Al Watan newspaper had already interviewed Shimon Peres and nothing had happened, When the judge asked him again why he said that the intelligence is behind the events in the region of Ghardaia, and that this is an insult to the image of Algeria, he replied that he did not come with anything of him, and that said this talk is Ammar Saadani, former Secretary-General of the first party of the Liberation Front National) and that he said this in a public statement, which was reported by local newspapers and media And international, why did not ask him or hold him accountable for this speech?
Lawyer Saleh Dabouz promised to resume the sentence immediately after his interview with his client in the next few days. He said that the sentence will be appealed to the criminal court itself in the second instance.
Amnesty International said it had seen judicial documents listing publications on social networking sites as evidence against Touati and that it found no "incitement to violence or dissemination of hatred." "His publications guarantee freedom of expression in connection with his work as a journalist," she said in a statement.
"Marzouq Touati is a blogger who has only exercised his rights guaranteed by the constitution. He has the freedom to talk to whomever he wants and to say what he wants."
Said Salehi of the Algerian League for the Defense of Human Rights described the trial as "unilaterally". "There were no defense witnesses, and we did not see the witnesses referred to by the defense lawyers," he said. Salehi said Tuati appeared to be "shocked" after the verdict, adding that the wasting was apparent and he lost a lot of weight. Touati has been on hunger strike seven times since his arrest, Salehi said. According to his lawyer, Marh Mehanna has been modest since graduating and "has never been in a position to access information that he can give" to foreign powers.
In 2011, Reporters Without Borders ranked Algeria 136th out of 180 countries for press freedom.
Marzouq Touati has been in prison since January 2017. He was arrested after publishing an interview with an Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman and after a leaflet calling on citizens to take to the streets and demonstrate against the increases in the budget law. (240 kilometers east of the capital). The prosecutor sought life imprisonment for the young blogger, who was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment.