Algeria prosecutor seeks death penalty for son of ex-PM Ali Benflis 

The prosecution in the Criminal Court of Appeal in Algiers has requested the death penalty against the son of former Prime Minister and presidential candidate hopeful, Ali Benflis, on charges of attempting to harm the “national economy” and communicating with a foreign country.

The public prosecutor in the preliminary trial had also requested the death penalty but this was later commuted to 15 years in prison.

The case dates back to when Benflis’s son was the owner of a law firm that had illegally obtained confidential documents relating to the purchase of 15 aircraft offered by Air Algerie, through a flight attendant who mediated for him with the Deputy Director of Transactions at Air Algerie, in return for helping them obtain Canadian citizenship.

The defendant, who has Canadian citizenship, faced charges related to soliciting a public employee to commit a crime in addition to hidden financing of a political party and illicit enrichment.

The other defendants faced misdemeanour charges including granting unjustified privileges in the field of public transactions, bribery and abuse of power.

On 26 July 2021, Algerian Echorouk newspaper reported that the investigation concluded that the defendant had travelled to Morocco to attend the African Economic Forum in order to secure opportunities to establish partnerships with the countries participating in the conference. There, he met with the former adviser to King Hassan II, M.A., who told him about the Moroccan authorities’ support for separatist parties in Algeria that are classified on terrorism lists, according to the same source.

The defendant also confessed to holding meetings with French officials.

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