Algeria jails Tunisian tourist over social media post

Algerian authorities handed a one-year jail sentence to a 21-year-old Tunisian tourist after she complained on social media over harassment.

In her social media post, Donia Guenni complained of harassment by a group of Algerian men and denounced the ill-treatment of the Algerian police.

Her lawyer, said she was tried swiftly and sentenced to a year in jail on the charge of “defamation against a public official.”

Tunisians are putting pressure on their government to intervene diplomatically, saying the video should have rather been used in the defense of the lady instead of incriminating her.

A hashtag “we are all Dounia” has been launched on Tunisian social media portals calling for the immediate release of the young girl.

The lack of adequate laws left women unprotected against harassment in Algerian streets, with many bloggers or travelers reporting suffering aggressions in Algerian streets.

The US State department in its travel advice warns on its website “women walking along the streets in Algeria may experience sexual harassment.”