![Primary school pupils in Algeria [Magharebia/Flickr]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/algeria-primary-school.jpg?fit=1024%2C704&ssl=1)
An Algerian lawmaker has been jailed for three years for trying to help his daughter cheat on a school maths exam, according to state news agency APS on Tuesday.
Abdenacer Ardjoun, a member of parliament from the ruling National Liberation Front (FLN), was detained earlier this month after attempting to smuggle an envelope to his daughter containing answers to the test.
Under Algerian law, parliamentarian’s immunity only extends to activities related to their work.
A local police chief, the school principal and another person were handed the same sentence in Monday’s ruling, the agency reported without identifying the fourth person. The police chief was hired by Ardjoun to deliver the answers and was imprisoned for attempted fraud and “abuse of office”.
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According to AFP, cheating is on the rise in Algeria’s schools in recent years, which has prompted authorities to clamp down on it. Last year, 31 people were jailed for between six month and three years for high school exam fraud.
Measures undertaken by the Algerian government have included widespread internet shutdowns and temporary blocks on social media networks during exam periods and penalties of up to 15 years imprisonment for leaking exam topics.
Cutting internet access during high school exams is a frequent measure taken to prevent cheating in some Arab countries, including Iraq and Sudan.