An Algerian military trial cleared Said Bouteflika of conspiracy accusations

The official APS agency declared that an Algerian military trial cleared on Saturday Said Bouteflika, the once-powerful brother of former president Abdelaziz Bouteflika, of conspiracy accusations after a retrial.

Said Bouteflika, the once-mighty presidential aide was long viewed as the North African country’s real power after his brother suffered a debilitating stroke in 2013. However, he was arrested in May 2019, after a month that Bouteflika leaves office after large demonstrations against his candidate for a fifth term.

Said was punished with two former intelligence chiefs and a Trotskyist politician to 15 years in jail for plotting against the army and the state, and in February, a military trial supported that decision. Whereas in November, the supreme trial reported that they would be retried after appeals, and lawyer Khaled Berghel informed APS: After deliberations, the court… rescinded the original ruling and acquitted all the defendants.

Furthermore, a court official related that although being cleared, Bouteflika stills in custody and would be transferred to another prison as he awaits a separate trial about claimed corruption during his brother’s term. Bouteflika and three others were accused of gathering in March 2019 and planning to disrupt plans by the army high command to impose the departure of Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

Said Bouteflika apparently wanted the intelligence chiefs to discharge the army chief of staff at the time, General Ahmed Gaid Salah.

The General Mohamed Lamine Mediene, known as Toufik, who headed the powerful Department of Intelligence and Security for 25 years, was also his co-defendant. Louisa Hanoune, who had served as secretary-general of the Workers’ Party, was also on trial, as well as the General Athmane Tartag