Why only Nukta, Mr. Minister? Media workers question government's selective support Information Minister Tarar announces jobs for all 37 laid off Nukta employees Faisal Chaudhry’s viral one-liner on G for Gharidah steals the show A digital dream falters: Nukta cuts 37 jobs in Pakistan after only one year Pulitzer Center offers global grants for in-depth journalism CPJ urges probe after journalist Rana Ayyub receives death threats in India Talat Hussain says offensive viral clip was edited out, not aired on Samaa TV Moldovan journalist Mariana Rață receives death threat after interview PFUJ recalls November 3, 2007 emergency as Pakistan’s darkest day Indonesia’s agriculture minister faces backlash over lawsuit against Tempo
Journalism Pakistan
Journalism Pakistan

Suspended jail term for Algeria blogger

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published 13 years ago

Join our WhatsApp channel

Suspended jail term for Algeria blogger

An Algerian court on Wednesday slapped an eight-month suspended prison sentence and a 1,000-euro ($1,250) fine on a blogger who had called for a boycott of the May 10 legislative election.

The Algiers court found Tarek Mameri, 23, guilty of destroying property, setting administrative documents on fire and inciting public gatherings.

The young blogger was initially detained on May 2 for posting videos on his blog calling for a boycott of last month's parliamentary election.

State prosecution had sought a three-year prison sentence earlier this month.

"This sentence is directed at all human rights activists. We are going to appeal and undertake all the necessary moves to have this decision overturned," Mameri's lawyer Amine Sidhom told AFP.

The young blogger never denied the charges brought against him.

"Yes, I destroyed electoral placards and burned my voter's card... I opted to do that rather than immolate myself," the young blogger told the state prosecutor last month.

More people have set fire to themselves in Algeria than in neighbouring Tunisia, where the death of a fruit vendor who set himself on fire in December 2010 to protest against poverty and dictatorship ignited a historic uprising.

Critics of last month's election say the victory of the National Liberation Front, the former single party that has dominated Algerian politics for half a century, was never in doubt.

Other contenders in the election were widely seen either as bogus parties recently founded to create an illusion of democracy or older parties co-opted by the regime.

Many Algerians opted to boycott the vote as a way of protesting the status quo in the oil-rich north African nation at a time when the Arab Spring was bringing sweeping political change to other countries in the region.

Official election results put the turnout at 43 percent, a figure that opposition parties and experts argued was grossly inflated.

An Algerian court last month sentenced a Yemeni Salafist imam to six months in jail, a $1,300 fine and a 10-year ban on visiting Algeria for having issued a religious edict urging voters to boycott the election. - AFP
 

Explore Further

Newsroom
Why only Nukta, Mr. Minister? Media workers question government's selective support

Why only Nukta, Mr. Minister? Media workers question government's selective support

 November 06, 2025 Information Minister Attaullah Tarar’s job offer to Nukta staff draws criticism as hundreds of journalists across Pakistan face layoffs, salary delays, and job insecurity.


Information Minister Tarar announces jobs for all 37 laid-off Nukta employees

Information Minister Tarar announces jobs for all 37 laid-off Nukta employees

 November 06, 2025 Information Minister Attaullah Tarar announces jobs for 37 laid-off Nukta employees, saying they will be placed at digital platforms within 48 hours amid growing media uncertainty.


Faisal Chaudhry’s viral one-liner on G for Gharidah steals the show

Faisal Chaudhry’s viral one-liner on G for Gharidah steals the show

 November 05, 2025 PTI’s Faisal Chaudhry’s witty reply to Gharidah Farooqi on GTV’s “G for Gharidah” goes viral as a clip from their debate over the 27th Amendment sparks reactions online.


A digital dream falters: Nukta cuts 37 jobs in Pakistan after only one year

A digital dream falters: Nukta cuts 37 jobs in Pakistan after only one year

 November 05, 2025 Digital platform Nukta lays off 37 employees in Pakistan, including journalists and producers, highlighting the financial struggles facing new media ventures in a shrinking job market.


Pulitzer Center offers global grants for in-depth journalism

Pulitzer Center offers global grants for in-depth journalism

 November 05, 2025 The Pulitzer Center is offering global reporting grants for journalists worldwide, funding high-impact projects on underreported issues with rolling applications in 2025.