Algeria appeals court increases journalist’s jail term to 7 years 

The Court of Appeals in the Algerian capital has increased the sentence handed to journalist Ihsane El Kadi in a case where he was charged with receiving foreign funding.

Al Kadi received the verdict yesterday while in prison. He was informed that his sentence had been increased from five to seven years. The ruling can be appealed at the Supreme Court.

Khalid Drareni, the representative of Reporters Without Borders in North Africa, described the ruling as shocking and incomprehensible. Journalists who have worked with Al Kadi referred to this conviction as devastating.

Two weeks ago, Al Kadi stood trial in a session that lasted approximately seven hours. He is charged with receiving foreign funding for political propaganda. As per Article 95 of the Penal Code, these charges can lead to “imprisonment from five to seven years and a fine ranging from 50,000 to 70,000 Algerian dinars for anyone who receives money, gifts, or privileges to carry out acts that may harm national security.”

The journalist denies receiving any foreign funding, asserting that the amount on which this charge is based was assistance from his daughter to the organisation, as she is one of its contributors. The defence team linked the charge with a sum of £25,000 ($32,000) received by Ihsane Al Kadi from his daughter, Tinhinan Al Kadi, who resides in London and is a contributor to Interfaz Media.

American political activist Noam Chomsky has joined calls for Al Kadi’s release, considering him one of the pillars of independent journalism in Algeria.

Al Kadi heads Interfaz Media in Algeria, which operates Radio Om and Maghreb Emergent.

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