Lawyers : Bouteflika almost pardonned all prisoners

A release issued by the President’s Office on two decrees signed by Bouteflika to pardon prisoners was different from previous ones, according to lawyers.

The presidential decrees pardoned all the people who received either mandatory jail term or suspended sentences inculding prisoners who passed exams in 2012-2013 and took vocational training courses except people arrested on terror-retalted charges.

This can be understood that all the prisoners even those involved in drug smuggling, corruption, public money embuzzlemnt and currency counterfeiting. Formely, people jailed on those charges were not pardoned by the president.

The release did not determine jail reduced duration.

Ibrahim Behlouli,a lawyer at a court in Algiers said arrested people on different charges except terrorism will be pardoned including those who received suspended sentences.

« It is general and absolute pardon. The persident has all the prerogatives to issue it according to Article No 77 of the Constitution, » he told Echorouk.

« If all the prisoners are pardoned, crime levels will rise, » he added.

« I am not against pardoning people but those who are sentenced to short- sentence prisoners must not be pardoned because they may commit crimes once again as they did not experience jail toughness. »

Speaking about the absence of Persident Bouteflika, Behlouli said there is nothing wrong about issuing releases while the persident is abroad for treatment.

« The Algerian Constitution does not include a clear text about the place of presidential decrees signature, » he said.

Omar Mehdi, a lawyer at a court in Algiers said he received tens of calls from families who inquired about the situation of their jailed members. Yet, he could not give themaccurate information as the release was issued in the weekend. Lawyers can not enter prisons and courts are closed.