Karim Tabou, a prominent figure in the protest movement in Algeria, was sentenced on Monday 07 December 2020 to a one-year suspended prison sentence and a fine of 100,000 dinars (around €650).
The verdict fell for Karim Tabbou, leader of the opposition party the Democratic and Social Union (UDS). He was sentenced by the court in Koléa, near Algiers, to a one-year suspended prison sentence for “violating national security”. He must pay in addition a fine of 100,000 dinars or about 650 euros. He was especially criticized for his criticism, at a rally in 2019, of French President Emmanuel Macron, whom he accused of “political hypocrisy” for his support for an arrogant power that imprisons journalists, violates public freedoms and submits justice to its dictates.
“It’s really unfortunate to convict a person twice on the same charge. It’s a violation of the law. Our ongoing struggle for a rule of law,” said his lawyer Nassima Rezazgui.
Karim Tabbou is a leading figure in the «Hirak», the most popular protest movement in Algeria. Born in February 2019 from a generalized ras-le-bol of Algerians, the Hirak calls for a profound change of the political “system” in place since the country’s independence in 1962. As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the movement’s weekly rallies were suspended in March 2020.
