Researcher Raouf Farrah and journalist Mustapha Bendjama have received a heavy sentence. Both were tried on August 22, 2023 by the tribunal of Constantine’s specliazed court following 6 months of detention.The tribunal made its decision public this Tuesday, August 29, 2023. It is a severe one, to say the least, given the pleadings of defense lawyers last week, who dismantled the accusations held against their clients. Raouf Farrah and Mustapha Bendjama are sentenced to 2 years in prison, in addition to a fine of 200 000 dinars.

Indicted in the same case, the former director of human resources at the Asfertrade company, a subsidiary of Asmidale, Habes Mountaha, was sentenced to 18 months in prison. Sebti Farrah, Raouf’s father, who appeared free last week, was given a suspended sentence of one year in prison, as well as a fine of 50 000 dinars. Sofiane Berkane, the former press attaché of the wilaya of Annaba, was acquitted. Following the trial, on Tuesday, August 22, the public prosecutor requested a sentence of 3 years in prison against Raouf Farrah, his father Sebti, Mustapha Bendjama and Mountaha Habes. He requested 18 months of prison against Sofiane Berkane. Defense lawyers have decided to appeal against the verdict. It is worth noting that Raouf Farrah and the others individuals indicted in this case, have been prosecuted, judged and now convicted under three accusations: “Receiving foreign financing for the purpose of political propaganda” and “publishing information and documents with partially or entirely classified content”.

On the adjacent case, the Amira Bouraoui case, which is yet to be tried and in which Mustapha Bendjama is indicted and cited to appear in court, the indictment division at Constantine’s specliazed court, where prosecution made an appeal, announced its decision on Tuesday, August 29, 2023. The case is requalified as correctional, after the charge of crinimal association has been dropped.