Colonel Oultache appeals against death sentence and his defense lawyers consider verdict “a harsh judgment”

Colonel Chouaib Oultache’s defense lawyer, submitted on Tuesday, a request to the Supreme Court for cassation appeal against the death penalty verdict handed down late on Monday by the Algiers Criminal Court against their client for the murder on 25 February 2010 of late National Police Chief Ali Tounsi inside the latter’s office in Algiers.

The defendant was found guilty of premeditated homicide against Tounsi, attempted homicide against two senior officials of the police and the possession of a firearm without license.

The ruling rendered by the court’s presiding judge Amar Belkherchi included financial compensation of DZD 24 million as damages to the family of the murdered police Chief.

Earlier, the representative of the Prosecutor-General had demanded the death penalty against Chouaib Oultache.

The defense lawyers were given a period of eight days to appeal to the Supreme Court of Cassation. Family members of the deceased Ali Tounsi, who were present at the time of the announcement of the verdict, did not wish to comment.

For Lawyer Amine Sidhoum, one of Chouaib Oultache’s lawyers, “the Court’s final decision was a bit heavy and harsh”, as he put it. 

“In any case, he added, we are intent on appealing against this verdict to the Supreme Court of Cassation. There were several violations of the proceedings, he argued, during the hearing, especially regarding the presence of witnesses”.