Algeria: Algerian Journalist Abdelali Mezghiche Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison

What the report says

Algerian journalist Abdelali Mezghiche has been sentenced to three years in prison and fined 200,000 Algerian dinars, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, whose statement was distributed by AllAfrica. The ruling was handed down on Sunday, November 8, by a court in Chéraga, west of Algiers, on five misdemeanor charges that included publishing material considered harmful to the national interest, inciting unarmed gatherings, and spreading hate speech.

CPJ said it is urging Algerian authorities to release Mezghiche immediately, overturn the conviction, and stop prosecuting journalists for peaceful expression. The group also said prosecutors had sought a five-year prison term and the same fine earlier in the case, before the judge issued the final sentence. Mezghiche’s defense team plans to appeal.

According to the report, Mezghiche was arrested on February 5, 2026, and has been held in pretrial detention at Kolea Prison since February 9. He has worked for Algeria’s state-owned television broadcaster since 2005 and has also worked in print journalism. The case adds to broader concern over press freedom in Algeria, where CPJ says at least seven journalists are currently jailed for their work. That context reflects a wider pattern of legal pressure on reporters in the country, though the article itself focuses on Mezghiche’s case.