An Algerian court has sentenced three former presidential aspirants to 10 years in prison for corruption, according to a judicial source on Monday. The verdict marks a dramatic turn in a case that has spotlighted the murky intersection of politics and money in Algeria’s electoral process.
Those sentenced include prominent businesswoman Saida Neghza, former government minister Belkacem Sahli, and Abdelhakim Hamadi. The three were among nearly 70 individuals convicted on charges linked to efforts to fraudulently secure endorsements for their presidential bids ahead of the September 2024 election.
Under Algerian election law, presidential candidates must secure either 600 signatures from elected officials or 50,000 from registered voters. Prosecutors said the accused sought to bypass this requirement by bribing local council members to obtain endorsements.
Most of the convicted were local council officials accused of accepting payments in exchange for their signatures. Sentences ranged from five to eight years for the others involved. Among the defendants were also three sons of Saida Neghza.
Neghza, whose candidacy was rejected before the election, maintained her innocence after the ruling. “I never bought any endorsements,” she said, calling on President Abdelmadjid Tebboune to review what she described as an “empty case.” Neghza has previously attributed her legal woes to political retaliation, citing a 2023 open letter in which she criticized state-imposed obstacles on business owners.
President Tebboune ultimately won the September 2024 election in a landslide, amid a race that was narrowed significantly after multiple candidacies were disqualified. The case has stirred debate over transparency and fairness in Algeria’s political landscape, with critics questioning whether legal tools are being used to suppress dissenting political ambitions.
Written By Rodney Mbua
