Khalifa case: arrested hunger strikers split into 6 prisons

Prison administration in Blida Saturday separated arrested suspects in the Khalifa Bank case who have been on hunger strike since last Thursday. They were transferred to other prisons, Echorouk has learnt.

Suspect Idir Issir who is in serious health state was transferred to a prison in the province of Chlef (west of Algeria) on an ambulance car. Badereddine Chachoua was taken to a prison in Tizi Ouzou (100 km east of Algeria), Abdelhafid Chachoua to Constantine (east of Algeria), Djamel Klimi to Berouaguia, Belaid Kechad to Bouira (125 km east of Algeria). The administration kept Djamel Mir in Blida as he will appear in court for another case.

The suspects were jailed on January 6^th in 2006 on the eve of the trial. The case was introduced to a criminal court in Blida and took more than a year to be scheduled on April 2^nd in 2013. It was postponed to an unknown date while defense lawyers say it may be scheduled in mid-May.

Lawyer Djamel Beloula said most of the lawyers thought the case would be postponed to May due to administrative procedures.

Another lawyer believes that the separation of the arrested is a “regulatory procedure,” saying they were separated because Blida’s prison may need vacant places.

He added the prison administration might want to stop the strike as the case was postponed.