Algerian journalist Abdelali Mezghiche sentenced to 3 years

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 10 November 2026 |  JP Global Monitoring

An Algerian court sentenced journalist Abdelali Mezghiche to three years in prison and fined him 200,000 dinars. His lawyers plan to appeal; he has been detained since February, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Summary

CHÉRAGA — An Algerian court sentenced journalist Abdelali Mezghiche to three years in prison and fined him 200,000 Algerian dinars on November 8 over charges linked to his social media activity, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

Mezghiche, who has been detained since February, intends to appeal the verdict, his lawyer Abdellah Haboul told Maghreb Émergent. Prosecutors had requested a five-year prison sentence and the same fine during an October 25 hearing.

Charges linked to social media posts

CPJ reported that the journalist was convicted on five misdemeanor charges, including publishing material deemed harmful to the national interest, inciting unarmed gatherings and disseminating hate speech. Other allegations included spreading false information.

The case followed Facebook posts concerning public anger over the imprisonment of local figures in Djanet, a city in southern Algeria. Mezghiche disputed the accusations during his trial, maintaining that he had published accurate and verified information as part of his journalistic work, according to his lawyer.

Detained since February

State security officers arrested Mezghiche in Algiers on February 5. An investigating judge at the Chéraga court ordered his pretrial detention on February 9, and he was subsequently held at Koléa prison in Tipaza province.

His request for provisional release was rejected by the indictment chamber of the Algiers court on February 22. The latest verdict follows approximately nine months in detention.

Mezghiche has worked for Algeria's state-owned public television broadcaster since 2005, presenting cultural programs. He previously worked in print journalism and has published three poetry collections.

Press freedom concerns

CPJ regional director Sara Qudah criticized the sentence, saying it punished the journalist for peaceful expression. The organization called for his immediate release and for the conviction to be overturned.

The Algerian government has previously maintained that the proceedings were unrelated to legitimate journalistic activity.

In February, the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights raised concerns about the detention of Mezghiche and fellow journalist Omar Ferhat. In a response submitted on March 19, Algeria said the proceedings concerned specific facts examined by judicial authorities rather than journalism or legitimate opinion.

CPJ reported on November 9 that at least seven journalists were imprisoned in Algeria in connection with their work. It said requests for comment sent to the country's justice and interior ministries had received no response.

ATTRIBUTION: Committee to Protect Journalists, November 9 and February 10, 2026; Maghreb Émergent, November 8 and October 26, 2026; African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, intersession activity report.

PHOTO: Screenshot: NumidiaTV/YouTube/Circulated by CPJ