Saïd Bouteflika in May 2017 (illustration) -

Sidali Djarboub / AP / SIPA

A military court of appeal in Algeria acquitted this Saturday Saïd Bouteflika, the younger brother and ex-adviser of the deposed president Abdelaziz Bouteflika, and his three co-defendants, who had been sentenced to 15 years in prison for "conspiracy" against the army and the state.

Following this surprise decision, Saïd Bouteflika will be transferred to a civilian prison pending trial in other cases related to corruption during his brother's 20 years in power, according to a judicial source.

He had previously been detained in a military jail.

He was recently placed under arrest warrant, accused of "influence peddling", in connection with a case concerning the launch of a television channel supposed to promote the fifth presidential term of his older brother in 2019.

During the appeal trial this Saturday, opened in the early morning, Generals Mohamed Mediène, known as "Toufik", and Athmane Tartag, as well as Trotskyist activist Louisa Hanoune, were also acquitted on appeal by the military court of Blida, near of Algiers, according to the defense lawyer, Me Khaled Berghel, quoted by the APS press agency.

Arrested in May 2019, the four accused were sentenced in September of the same year to 15 years' imprisonment in a flash trial before the military court of Blida, for "conspiracy against the authority of the State and the 'army'.

They were accused of having met in March 2019 to draw up a “destabilization plan” for the army high command, which then publicly requested the departure of President Bouteflika to get out of the crisis born of the Hirak.

This unprecedented popular uprising forced the head of state to give up a new presidential mandate and to resign, under the combined pressure of the street and the army, in April 2019.

Influential advisor to Abdelaziz Bouteflika

Saïd Bouteflika was the influential special adviser to his brother Abdelaziz.

His power had strengthened to the point of being considered as the "president-bis", as the health of the Head of State declined, victim in 2013 of a stroke which left him paralyzed and aphasic.

After the latter's forced resignation, Saïd Bouteflika was cited in several corruption cases, along with former oligarchs close to the clan of the former Algerian president.

Several caciques of the Bouteflika era were heavily condemned, including Ali Haddad, the former leader of the main Algerian employers' organization, the Forum of Business Leaders (FCE).

In addition, many Hirak opponents and activists have also been arrested, tried and sentenced in a climate of repression against opponents, independent media and bloggers.

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  • Justice

  • Abdelaziz bouteflika

  • Algeria

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