Algerian journalist Saad Bouakba, 79, has been placed in pretrial detention following a complaint filed by the daughter of the late President Ahmed Ben Bella, citing “defamation,” the Prosecutor’s Office revealed.
The complaint accuses Bouakba of publishing false information that allegedly undermines national symbols and the revolution, according to the Bir Mourad Rais Court Prosecutor’s Office near Algiers, as reported by public television. Ben Bella, who passed away in April 2012, served as Algeria’s first president from 1963 to 1965. The Ministry of Mujahideen (veterans) has also joined the case as a civil party, local media reported.
Algerian authorities have charged Bouakba with “dissemination of false, inaccurate, and defamatory information, insulting state symbols and figures of the independence struggle.” The veteran journalist is accused of indirectly addressing the Western Sahara issue.
In an online interview, Bouakba stated that in the early 1960s, during an Organization of African Unity (OAU) summit, former President Ben Bella had reportedly requested the support of his Egyptian counterpart, Gamal Abdel Nasser, for the principle of colonial-era inherited borders.
Bouakba’s trial is scheduled for 4 December
Bouakba began his career in Algeria’s public press before becoming a columnist for private outlets including El Khabar and Echourouk. He has frequently been at the centre of controversy and has previously faced defamation charges. In October 2023, he was sentenced to six months in prison for defamation-related accusations.
AK/ac/lb/as/APA