Khalifa files to appeal prison sentence

Abdelmoumene Rafik Khalifa’s lawyers Tuesday filed an appeal of the Blida Criminal Court’s sentence as they want to reduce it, Echorouk has learnt.

Khalifa was sentenced to 18 years in prison. The judge ordered him to pay a fine of 100 million centimes and to confiscate his seized properties.

The suspect, who was charged on corruption was supposed to file the appeal by himself. Yet, he suffers from difficult psychological conditions due to the sentence.

The Supreme Court will have to respond to the appeal within four months by virtue of the extradition agreement signed with the UK late in 2013.

According to the same sources, lawyers Marwane Madjhouda and Nacerddine Lazer gave two propositions to Khalifa: either he files an appeal without asking for a conditional release as he served the half of the sentence, or he submits the conditional release request. Finally, it was decided to submit the appeal and the request.