Sharjah24 – AFP: Unrest broke out late Sunday in a southern Algerian town after a blogger and activist was handed a seven-year jail sentence for condoning acts of terrorism, a news website reported.
El Watan said protesters burnt tyres and blocked several roads in Ouargla, after a court in the town convicted Ameur Guerrache.
In a video posted on social media, protesters were seen hurling stones at police as tear gas filled the air.
According to Algeria's prisoners' support group CLND, the activist was found guilty of condoning terrorism, incitement to acts of terrorism and illegal gatherings, and offending the president.
The justice ministry said Saturday that 59 pro-democracy activists have been released from jail under presidential pardons announced on February 18.
Tebboune, who was elected in December 2019 on a very low turnout in a poll boycotted by the protest movement, has made several bids to head off renewed anti-government rallies.
But another 700 people were briefly detained on Friday during marches around the country of the "Hirak" protest movement, according to rights groups.
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