Algiers (AFP)

The lawyers and supporters of Khaled Drareni, who has become a symbol of the fight for press freedom in Algeria, on Wednesday launched an appeal for international mobilization to obtain the release of the journalist, sentenced to three years in prison for "undermining the national unity ".

"We appeal to citizens, elites, all journalists, wherever they are, inside and outside the country", pleaded lawyer Zoubida Assoul at a press conference in Alger.

"We must mobilize to block these practices and that we face this power which says something in its speeches but in practice does the opposite", urged Me Assoul, also leader of a small party of opposition, the Union for Change and Progress (UCP).

Mr. Drareni, 40, is director of the online news site Casbah Tribune and correspondent in Algeria for the French-speaking channel TV5 Monde and the NGO Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

Imprisoned since March 29, he was sentenced Monday in Algiers to three years' imprisonment and a heavy fine for "inciting unarmed assembly" and "undermining national unity".

Mr. Drareni was prosecuted following his coverage on March 7 in Algiers of a demonstration of the "Hirak", the popular uprising which rocked Algeria for more than a year, until his suspension a few ago. months due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

During his trial by videoconference on August 3, Khaled Drareni was notably accused of having criticized the political system on Facebook, according to RSF.

"How can the videos he shares on the networks (...) be considered a crime punishable by law?" Asked another member of his defense collective, Me Abdelghani Badi.

"In the end, Khaled Drareni receives the heaviest sentence since the start of the trials of 'Hirak' activists in June 2019", he lamented.

The severity of the sentence shocked his colleagues in Algiers and sparked strong protests from defenders of press rights and the protection of journalists.

On Wednesday, more than 30 Tunisian NGOs expressed their solidarity and called for the “immediate” and “unconditional” release of the Algerian journalist.

Algerian justice has increased in recent months the legal proceedings and convictions of "Hirak" activists, political opponents, journalists and bloggers.

During a meeting with Algerian media in early May, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune himself had suggested, without ever mentioning him by name, that Khaled Drareni was a spy in the service of foreign embassies.

Several Algerian journalists are in prison and trials are underway.

© 2020 AFP