The Oran Criminal Court sentenced the academic and activist Kaddour Chouicha to one year in prison and a fine of 20,000 dinars for 'keeping leaflets threatening general security'. Trade union sources have noted that the city of Oran has experienced great tension because of the police who sued citizens who had gathered in front of the city court to support the activist while other citizens were targeted by police after going out at night to protest the elections.
In this context, eyewitnesses said that several young people were injured on the night of December 9 in the city center when police tried to disperse a demonstration. For his part, Kaddour Chouicha was contacted Monday afternoon by the police who summoned him to his premises the next morning to recover his cell phone that was confiscated before two weeks. Once on the spot, Kaddour Chouicha was subjected to an interrogation before being transferred to the court of Oran where he was heard by the public prosecutor who sent him the raised accusations.
During his hearing, Kaddour Chouicha defended his positions through his six lawyers. To the judge's question concerning his foreign media interventions, Kaddour Chouicha explained that in Algeria, there are no independent media and that he defended the right of the Algerian people to freedom of expression.
Kaddour Chouicha is a teacher at the Faculty of Science and Technology in Oran and is the historical founder of the Union of Teachers of Higher Education. Chouicha is also president of the Algerian League for the Defense of Human Rights.
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