A court in Algeria, on Monday sentenced three former presidential aspirants to 10 years in prison each after finding them guilty of corruption, a judicial source confirmed.
According to reports in Algeria, the convicted individuals include prominent businesswoman Saida Neghza, former minister Belkacem Sahli, and political figure Abdelhakim Hamadi.
They were among about 70 people tried in connection with efforts to illegally secure support ahead of the country’s presidential election last September. Several others involved in the case received prison terms ranging from five to eight years.
All three had declared interest in contesting the 2023 presidential election, but their candidacies were ultimately rejected.
Authorities accused them of attempting to gain backing by offering financial incentives. Among the accused were three of Neghza’s sons, who were also implicated in the case.
AFP revealed that most of the defendants were members of local councils, charged with accepting money in exchange for their electoral endorsements—signatures required by law for any presidential hopeful to be eligible to run.
Following the verdict, Neghza maintained her innocence, denying that she ever paid for endorsements.
She publicly appealed to President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, urging him to review the case, which she described as baseless and unjust.
Neghza also referenced a public letter she issued in 2023, where she criticized the government for what she described as unfair obstacles facing business owners, including excessive fines. She suggested that her outspoken stance may have contributed to her prosecution.
In Algeria, anyone seeking to contest the presidency must secure 600 signatures from elected officials or 50,000 from registered voters.
Back in August, prosecutors revealed that 68 individuals had been arrested over allegations of “buying signatures” to boost the candidacies of the three accused.
Meanwhile, President Tebboune eventually won the election by a wide margin.
