Algeria: 42 death sentences handed down during first 5 months of 2015

The Criminal Court of Algiers delivered during the first five months of the current year, 42 death sentences against terrorists involved in deadly attacks against civilians and elements of the ANP, as well as assassinations or kidnappings between 1995 and 2014.

The Criminal Court in Algiers inflicted these death sentences in two cases of terrorism, one on February 17, 2015 when 26 indicted, including the senior chieftain of the “AQIM” terrorist group, alias “Abdelmalek Droukdel” involved in several murders during the early 1990s in the provinces of Algiers and Boumerdes, have been sentenced to capital punishment.

Sixteen other death sentences were passed by the Court in Algiers on May 30, 2015, against individuals for formation of a terrorist organization, kidnapping, homicide, bombings in public places in the centre of the country and in nearby surroundings.

In addition to these two cases, the Algiers criminal court had dealt since January 2015 with seven other cases linked to terrorism pronouncing sentences ranging from three years in prison to life imprisonment for belonging to terrorist groups inside and outside the country including the case of the son and brother of the slain terrorist ringleader alias “Abdelhamid Abou Zeid”.

Furthermore, a sentence of six months in prison was handed down by the same judicial body against Alaoui Abdelghani on charges of contempt to a corporate body issued on the “Facebook” site.

Concerning cases of corruption, the Algiers court has dealt with the bribery case of “the East-West motorway” involving 16 defendants and seven foreign companies. The Criminal Court in Algiers delivered on May 7th penalties ranging from acquittal to 10 years in prison against accused persons.