Prisoners Of “Special Courts” Plead Bouteflika’s Amnesty

Family members of prisoners being tried in martial courts and serving prison for 19 years, have pleaded President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to release their dear ones as stipulated by the chart of national reconciliation.

Representatives of the family members of the aforementioned detainees said the latter have been subject to “exceptional trials” by military courts in the early nineties, some of them have been freed, while others are still serving heavy sentences. 

Some of them have been sentenced, without proofs, to life sentence and to death penalty. 

In this regard, lawyer Merouane Azzi said several cases of those jailed between 1992 and 1994 are concerned by the amnesty stipulated by the chart of the national reconciliation, adding that 2200 similar cases have alredady been released after being tried again by civil courts.

Yet, family members of 120 Islamist prisoners said their sons, who have been jailed in accordance with rules issued by what is called as “special courts” installed exclusively by the ARmy in the nineties to deal with Islamist prisoners, deserve being included in the national reconciliation chart, after 19 years behind bars. 

They said “it is time that President Bouteflika to issue an amnesty on their favour, and save them from despair and suicide.”