By RFPosted on 21-11-2019Modified on 21-11-2019 at 15:52
Algerian power is showing more and more excitement in the face of protesters who still refuse the December 12 presidential election. On Wednesday, the army chief of staff spoke of the "special circumstances" the country is going through, prompting all Algerians to vote. But the protesters continued to obstruct the candidates' election rallies.
This Wednesday, after his immediate appearance, a protester was sentenced to two years in prison by the court in al Wadi, southeastern Algeria. It is the hardest sentence pronounced since the beginning of the movement. The man was arrested while protesting against a rally of presidential candidate Ali Benflis. He was sentenced for " disrupting the meeting ". Another person, who accused the candidate of stealing the state's money, was given a six-month suspended sentence.
On the night of Wednesday to Thursday, according to the Hirak detainee release committee, more than 150 people were arrested in Algiers and several other cities in which nighttime protests took place . Thirty of them are still in detention and should appear before a prosecutor.
During the day, another 37 people were arrested in Tlemcen for disrupting other electoral meetings. Eighteen of them were sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Since the beginning of the Hirak movement last February, this week has seen the heaviest sentences fall for protesters. A hardening of power that now uses all means to encourage citizens to vote and considers that the presidential election is the only way to get the country out of the crisis. " The power is trying to intimidate Algerians, " says Kaci Tansaout, coordinator of the detainee release committee.
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