Algeria’s Chéraga court sentences journalist Mezghiche to 3 years

A court in Chéraga, west of Algiers, sentenced journalist Abdelali Mezghiche to 3 years in prison and fined him 200,000 Algerian dinars on 8 November, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said. Prosecutors had sought a 5-year sentence and a 200,000 Algerian dinar fine at a hearing on 25 October.

CPJ said the conviction covered 5 misdemeanor charges, including publishing content deemed harmful to the national interest, inciting unarmed gatherings and disseminating hate speech. Mezghiche’s lawyer, Abdellah Haboul, said the defense intends to appeal to the Algiers court.

The case against Mezghiche

The prosecution concerned Mezghiche’s Facebook posts about unrest in Djanet, Journan said. Its account listed spreading false information among the charges. At trial, Mezghiche denied the allegations and said his reports were verified and part of his professional duties.

CPJ cited a local journalist, who spoke anonymously for fear of reprisal, as saying Mezghiche was convicted under Articles 96 and 100 of Algeria’s penal code. The articles criminalize distributing publications deemed harmful to the national interest and inciting unarmed gatherings, respectively.

Mezghiche was arrested on 5 February 2026, and has been held at Kolea Prison in Tipaza province since 9 February, when a Chéraga court investigating judge ordered his pretrial detention. He has worked for Algeria’s state-owned public television broadcaster since 2005, presenting cultural programs; he previously worked in print journalism and has published 3 poetry collections.

Criticism and appeal

CPJ regional director Sara Qudah called the sentence a weaponization of the judiciary to silence critical voices. She called for Mezghiche’s immediate release, the reversal of his conviction and an end to treating journalism as a crime. CPJ says at least 7 journalists are jailed in Algeria for their work.