An Algiers court on Thursday sentenced a former presidential candidate and retired general to four years in prison for undermining army morale, the official APS news agency reported.

Ali Ghediri had said he would stand in Algeria's April 2019 election against longtime president Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

The ailing autocrat's decision to seek a fifth mandate led to mass protests against his rule and he later stepped down under army pressure.

Ghediri, detained since June 2019, appeared in court on Thursday accused of "participating during peacetime in undertakings aimed at weakening army morale", APS said.

The prosecution had requested a sentence of seven years behind bars.

Ghediri was a political novice without a strong support structure to back him when he threw his hat into the ring against Bouteflika.

He had said he wanted to "break the system" and "build a second republic".

In a late 2018 interview with El Watan newspaper, Ghediri had hit out at speculation that the April election might be postponed and Bouteflika's mandate extended, suggesting he expected the army to stop any such move.

The comments earned him a rebuke from the defence ministry, which threatened to go to court if rules on the conduct of former military officers were breached.

Bouteflika delayed the April elections indefinitely after the Hirak pro-democracy protest movement broke out in February that year.

Then interim president Abdelkader Bensalah scheduled a new vote for July but the country's constitutional council cancelled it, citing a lack of candidates.

An election was eventually held in December 2019, with Abdelmadjid Tebboune declared the winner.

Bouteflika died last week, aged 84, while Bensalah died Wednesday, aged 79.

Related Links
Africa News - Resources, Health, Food

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Strikes paralyse hospitals in Guinea-Bissau
Bissau (AFP) Sept 22, 2021
Striking medical workers in Guinea-Bissau have paralysed hospitals, officials said on Wednesday, with the government in the West African state deploying army medics as a stopgap. Nurses and healthcare technicians launched an "indefinite boycott" on Tuesday to demand payment of overtime, better equipment and hazard bonuses for workers on Covid-19 wards. On Wednesday, most hospitals and clinics in the capital Bissau were either closed or operating at reduced capacity, city residents told AFP. ... read more