Said Boudour released on suspended sentence
On 10 March 2021, the Oran Appeal Court ordered the release of human rights defender Said Boudour. The Court acquitted Said Boudour of the charge of 'defamation', but upheld the charge of 'insulting the regime', and issued a suspended sentence of two months imprisonment.
On 21 January 2021, the Court of First Instance of Oran scheduled the appeal session in the trial of human rights defender Said Boudour for 2 March.
On 24 November 2020, the Criminal Court of Oran sentenced human rights defender Said Boudour in absentia to one year imprisonment and a fine of 50,000 Algerian Dinar (approximately 325 Euros).
On 27 October 2020, the Public Prosecutor of Oran requested that human rights defender Said Boudour be imprisoned for two years and fined of 100,000 Algerian Dinars (approximately 660 EUR).
On 8 July 2020, the Criminal Court of Oran rescheduled the hearing session of human rights defender Said Boudour for the second time.
On 3 March 2020, the Criminal Court of Oran dropped some of the charges against human rights defender Said Boudour, and decided to consider the remaining ones as misdemeanours.
On 25 February 2020, the Criminal Court of Oran adjourned the first hearing of human rights defender Said Boudour until 3 March 2020.
On 15 October 2019, the Criminal Court of Oran ordered the preventive detention of human rights defender Said Boudour.
Said Boudour is facing several charges including “defamation”, “contributing to the weakening of the morale of the army”, and “insulting the regime”. He was conditionally released on 7 October 2019, after being detained by the Algerian authorities since 6 October 2019 in Oran.
Said Boudour is a journalist, human rights defender and member of the Algerian League for Human Rights. As well as organising peaceful demonstrations, he works to defend the rights of migrants and political prisoners.
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- 12 March 2021 : Said Boudour released on suspended sentence
- 27 November 2020 : Said Boudour sentenced
- 29 October 2020 : Public Prosecutor requests prison sentence for Said Boudour
- 10 July 2020 : Hearing session of Said Boudour rescheduled for the second time
- 17 April 2020 : Court drops some of the charges against Said Boudour
- 25 February 2020 : First hearing of Said Boudour adjourned
- 17 October 2019 : Said Boudour under preventive detention
- 11 October 2019 : Continued criminalisation of human rights defenders in Algeria
On 10 March 2021, the Oran Appeal Court ordered the release of human rights defender Said Boudour. The Court acquitted Said Boudour of the charge of 'defamation', but upheld the charge of 'insulting the regime', and issued a suspended sentence of two months imprisonment.
The Oran Appeal Court had ordered the detention of the human rights defender on 2 March 2021. According to the human rights defender, the conditions in Oran prison were inhumane, with insufficient hygiene measures and food of a low quality for detainees.
Said Boudour was sentenced in absentia by the Criminal Court of Oran on 24 November 2020, to one year imprisonment and a fine of 50,000 Algerian Dinar (approximately 325 Euros).
On 24 November 2020, the Criminal Court of Oran sentenced human rights defender Said Boudour in absentia to one year imprisonment and a fine of 50,000 Algerian Dinar (approximately 325 Euros). Said Boudour was convicted of 'defamation' and 'blackmailing', after a complaint was submitted against him regarding his Facebook posts in which he criticised the Algerian Government.
The hearing was scheduled to take a place on 17 November 2020, but it was delayed due to the absence of the judge. Since the human rights defender was charged in September 2019, his court proceedings have been postponed several times.
On 27 October 2020, the Public Prosecutor of Oran requested that human rights defender Said Boudour be imprisoned for two years and fined of 100,000 Algerian Dinars (approximately 660 EUR). The request for conviction is based on a number of charges, including “defamation and the spread of fake news”, “contributing to the weakening of the morale of the Algerian National Armed Forces”, and “insulting the Algerian regime”. The hearing session was held in absentia without the presence of the human rights defender. The court will be announcing its decision on 17 November 2020.
On 8 July 2020, the Criminal Court of Oran rescheduled the hearing session of human rights defender Said Boudour for the second time. According to his lawyer, the hearing session has been rescheduled to September, but a specific date is yet to be set. The hearing was initially due to take place on 3 March 2020.
The human rights defender is facing several charges, including “defamation and the spread of fake news”, “contributing to the weakening of the morale of the Algerian National Armed Forces”, and “insulting the Regime of Algeria”.
On 3 March 2020, the Criminal Court of Oran dropped some of the charges against human rights defender Said Boudour, and decided to consider the remaining ones as misdemeanours. The charges which have been brought against the defender include “defamation”, “contributing to the weakening of the morale of the army”, and “insulting the regime”. It remains unclear which charges have been dropped. The case has been transferred to the Court of First Instance. The next hearing has not been scheduled yet.
On 25 February 2020, the Criminal Court of Oran adjourned the first hearing of human rights defender Said Boudour until 3 March 2020. He is facing several charges including “defamation”, “contributing to the weakening of the morale of the army”, and “insulting the regime”.
On 15 October 2019, the Criminal Court of Oran ordered the preventive detention of human rights defender Said Boudour. According to the Algerian Criminal Procedures Law, he must remain in preventive detention for four months, after which the sanction may be subject to renewal.
Said Boudour is facing several charges including “defamation”, “contributing to the weakening of the morale of the army”, and “insulting the regime”. He was conditionally released on 7 October 2019, after being detained by the Algerian authorities since 6 October 2019 in Oran.
Said Boudour is a journalist, human rights defender and member of the Algerian League for Human Rights. As well as organising peaceful demonstrations, he works to defend the rights of migrants and political prisoners.
In late September 2019, following his participation in peaceful, pro-democracy demonstrations in the city of Oran, an arrest warrant was issued for Said Boudour. On 6 October 2019, he turned himself in to the Department of National Security in Oran, where he was detained for almost 24 hours, interrogated, and denied access to his lawyer. Said Boudour is facing several charges, among them, “defamation and the spread of fake news”, “contributing to the weakening of the morale of the Algerian National Armed Forces”, and “insulting the Regime of Algeria”.
For several years Said Boudour has suffered frequent harassment from the Algerian authorities for his coverage of human rights issues in the country. He was detained for such work in June 2016, in June 2018, and on December 2018.
Other human rights defenders have also been subject to harassment from the Algerian state. Human rights defenders Hamid Goura and Slimane Hamitouche were separately detained and interrogated on 8 October 2019, due to their participation in peaceful protests. Hamitouche was later released but given a travel ban and placed on probation which requires him to report to the police station every 15 days. Two days later, on 10 October 2019, human rights defender Abdelouahab Fersaoui, was detained by police officers in plain clothes, and continues to be held in an undisclosed location.
Front Line Defenders is deeply concerned about the crackdown against human rights defenders in Algeria. The arrests and charges against Said Boudour and other human rights defenders are believed to be solely motivated by their peaceful and legitimate work defending human rights in Algeria.
