Algeria's prominent dissident released

One of Algeria’s prominent figures for the protest movement, Karim Tabbour was released Thursday, his lawyer Abdelghani Badi told AFP.

Badi said this follows a green light from the court of Algiers for a request of his client’s provisional release.

Tabbou, was imprisoned on 26 September, 2016 and was sentenced on an appeal on March 24 to one year in prison. He was charged for ‘‘undermining the integrity of the national territory’‘.

The Algerian dissident is also being prosecuted for ‘’ damaging the army’s morale’‘ in another case, the trial of which has been postponed until September 14, 2020.

Human rights groups have welcome the decision for Tabbou’s release.

Karim Tabbou is one of the most prominent voices of “Hirak”, the anti-regime protest movement that broke out in February 2019.

The Democratic and Social Union leader’s portrait was regularly used during weekly demonstrations, now suspended over the Covid-19 pandemic.