Application For The Release Of Hanoune, Bouteflika, Mediène and Tartag: The Military Court Rejects The Request

The Indictment Chamber at the Blida Military Court rejected the request to cancel the arrest warrant of the Secretary General of the Workers’ Party, Louisa Hanoune, as well as those of the former presidential adviser, Said Bouteflika, and the two former generals, Athmane Tartag known as “Bachir” and Mohamed Mediène known as “Toufik”. Indeed, an application for the release of the four defendants was submitted by their lawyers but to no avail.
Speaking to the press, one of Louisa Hanoune’s lawyers said that “the Indictment Chamber considered Ms Hanoune’s appeal against the detention warrant order” stating that “in our plea, we proved that she has every guarantee to be kept out of prison, the maximum would be judicial supervision”. “The Indictment Chamber rejected our request,” he added. He further stated that the Indictment Chamber does not argue its decision.
He then added that “lawyers will have to wait another period of time before submitting a new request for provisional release for their defendants”… The latter are accused of “undermining the authority of the Army and plotting against the authority of the State”, acts provided for and punished by articles 284 of the Military Justice Code, and 77 and 78 of the Criminal Code.
With regard to the penalties that the four accused may face while in pre-trial detention for the time being, it should be recalled that article 284 of the Code of Military Justice stipulates that: “Any individual guilty of conspiracy to violate the authority of the commander of a military formation, building or aircraft, or the discipline or security of the formation, building or aircraft, shall be punished by criminal imprisonment from five (05) to ten (10) years”.
In a recent speech, Deputy Minister of National Defense and Army Chief of Staff Major General Gaid Salah said about the arrests: “There is no doubt that the heads of discord, which have been exposed, as well as their criminal and pernicious acts harmful to Algeria, are now suffering the fair and equitable punishment they deserve by the force of the law”, revealing that there will be more arrests.
“The investigation will reveal new people involved in the plot against the Army and Algeria.” “Those whom the ongoing persevering and thorough investigations will undoubtedly reveal in the future, will also be punished in a fair and equitable manner by the force of law,” he argued.