Africa International

Former South African President Jacob Zuma surrendered to authorities

The uncertainty hovered until the last minute: the former South African president Jacob Zuma, sentenced to 15 months in prison for contempt of court, finally constituted himself as a prisoner Wednesday before midnight. Half an hour before the end of the ultimatum, a convoy of a dozen cars left Mr. Zuma’s residence in Nkandla, in […]

Egypt Headlines

Egypt nabs renowned businessman for funding unlicensed excavation of antiquities

The Egyptian police arrested Tuesday businessman and ex-owner of Mehwar satellite channel Hassan Rateb on accusation of funding unlicensed excavation of antiquities, a crime amounting to life imprisonment. Rateb has been named in an investigation of former lawmaker Alaa Hassanin who was also arrested last week and accused of leading a gang to dig for […]

Algeria Headlines

Algeria: BBC Correspondent Thrown in Prison for Espionage

Algerian Authorities have locked up journalist fixer Saïd Chitour over espionage after he was arrested early last month at Algiers airport on his way back from a trip in Spain. BBC correspondent Chitour is known by foreign English media and missions for helping arrange meetings between Algerian figures and foreign media in Algeria. He also […]

Algeria Headlines

Algeria: Another Hunger-Striking Human Rights Militant Evacuated from Prison to Hospital

Amazigh militant and human rights activist Kamal Eddine Fekhar was rushed from prison to a hospital in the city of Mina near the restive Algerian Amazigh-speaking city of Ghardaia after staging a hunger strike, local reporters said. Kamal Eddine Fekhar started the hunger strike on January 3, 2017 in protest for his arbitrary detention on […]

Headlines Tunisia

Tunisian Prisons are Overpopulated, Justice Minister

Tunisian Justice Minister Monday sounded the alarm over the “catastrophic” conditions of inmates in the country’s prisons. “Detention centers in Tunisia are extremely overpopulated,” Ghazi Jeribi told a parliament committee on Monday. Over 20,000 people have been locked up in the country’s few prisons, exceeding the capacities of these centers. The overpopulation has been estimated […]

Africa Headlines Mauritania

Mauritania: Court of appeal reduces anti-slavery activists’ prison sentences

The 13 anti-slavery activists from the slavery abolitionist movement (known by its acronym IRA) have been seen their prison sentences reduced after an appeal court revisited their cases, reports say. Zouerate court of appeal Friday November 17 overturned the 20 years in prison pronounced against the activists on Wednesday November 16. The court in a […]

Egypt Headlines

Egypt: Prison Sentences for three Army Officers for Attempt to Overthrow President

Three Egyptian army officers have been prosecuted and handed prison sentences ranging from 5 years to life in prison for plotting to overthrow President al-Sisi. The three officers, a naval Colonel and two infantrymen, were found guilty of plot against President al-Sisi by an Egyptian military court. London-based Qatari media “The New Arab” reports that […]