Saïd Bouteflika
Saïd Bouteflika سعيد بوتفليقة | |
---|---|
Personal details | |
Born | January 1958 (age 66) Oujda, Morocco |
Relatives | Abdelaziz Bouteflika (brother) |
Alma mater | National Polytechnic School (Algeria) Pierre and Marie Curie University |
Saïd Bouteflika (Arabic: سعيد بوتفليقة, Berber languages: ⵙⵄⵉⴷ ⴰⵠⵓⵜⴼⵉⵇⴰ; born January, 1958)[1] is an Algerian academic and politician.
He was an assistant professor at the Houari-Boumediene University of Science and Technology (USTHB). He is the brother and was a special adviser of Abdelaziz Bouteflika in his former role as President of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, on whom he would have had "considerable influence",[2] especially after the president suffered a serious stroke in 2013.
On May 4, 2019, a month after his brother's resignation, in the context of the 2019 protests in Algeria, he was arrested and provisionally imprisoned in the military prison of Blida awaiting trial. On September 25, 2019, he was sentenced to fifteen years in prison for “undermining the authority of the army” and “conspiring against the authority of the state”.
Biography
Early life
Saïd Bouteflika was born in 1958 in Oujda in Morocco, which was then the base of Wilaya V (the military district in the Oran region), at the start of the rise of his brother Abdelaziz, then aged twenty, with Houari Boumédiène, who at the same time was the head of the wilaya. He is the youngest of nine siblings.[3]
His father Ahmed[citation needed] died when he was a year old, so he was brought up by his mother (who ran a hammam), under the tutelage of his brother Abdelaziz, and thereby by Houari Boumedienne who took power through a coup d'état in 1965. He was a student at the Saint-Joseph College of the Brothers of Christian Schools, in El-Biar (Algiers), then at the high school run by the Jesuits, like some sons of leaders,[2] before the final closure of these establishments.
Exile and return
A graduate of the National Polytechnic School of Algiers,[4] he arrived in Paris in 1983 to prepare a doctorate in computer science.[2] His brother, ousted from the estate of Boumédiène, joined him, accused of embezzlement.[2] Saïd Bouteflika holds a postgraduate doctorate from Pierre-et-Marie-Curie University (Paris VI). His main center of interest is pattern recognition, a field in which he defends his thesis.[5]
In 1987, the Bouteflikas were able to return to Algeria, and Saïd followed his brother back.[2] He became a teacher and a university union activist. He married a biologist. In El Biar, he lived in a one floor house with his brother.[3]
Special advisor
After his brother Abdelaziz was elected president in 1999, he was appointed special adviser by an unpublished decree; he officially takes care of the IT department.[2] In this role, he removed other members of the cabinet like Ali Benflis or Larbi Belkheir; Saïd Bouteflika ousted the former in 2003 and the latter in 2005.[2] He managed his brother's re-election campaigns in 2004 and 2008, and begins to be presented as a potential successor; he fails to be named vice-president.[6]
In 2005, Abdelaziz Bouteflika was hospitalized in Paris with an ulcer, which forced him to step back from his duties. As a result, the role of Said grew. According to an inhabitant of El Mouradia interviewed by Jeune Afrique, “he keeps the agenda of the Head of State, intervenes in the appointments of ministers, diplomats, walis [lords], heads of public bodies, and influences the internal life of the FLN. Having become essential to gain access to the president, the special adviser takes de facto management of affairs in El-Mouradia."[2]
In 2008, he participated in the re-election of his brother, putting pressure on businessmen to finance the campaign, and made sure that public contracts were entrusted to relatives.[3] An American cable from that year, released by Wikileaks, shows Bernard Bajolet indicating that "Corruption, which traces back to the brothers of Bouteflika [Saïd and Abdallah], has reached a new peak and is interfering with economic development".[7] Shortly afterwards, several corruption scandals broke out, where his name was mentioned, perhaps at the instigation of the Département du Renseignement et de la Sécurité.[8]
In 2013, Abdelaziz Bouteflika was hospitalized in Val-de-Grâce, in Paris. For Jeune Afrique, Saïd Bouteflika remains alone at his brother's bedside, filtering access, giving instructions on the management of the crisis to Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal, who must wait 46 days to see the president.[9][3] Le Matin even affirms that Saïd Bouteflika himself signed seven decrees of appointment in place of his brother, and that he blocks the other appointments.[10] At the same time, he intervened in the crisis shaking the FLN in order to impose a relative as secretary general, then in the subsequent cabinet reshuffle.[11][12] Journalist and former DRS captain Hichem Aboud, who revealed the seriousness of the president's condition, accused Saïd Bouteflika of "running the country by proxy", of having "been involved in many corruption cases" and for having persecuted him to silence him.[13]
In October of the same year, rumors of succession between the brothers resumed,[14] while the movements opposing him, the DRS and its leader, General Toufik, continued.[15][16] This political war is manifested in particular by a new attack by Hichem Aboud who accuses Saïd Bouteflika of massive corruption and drug trafficking, but also of homosexuality, which is illegal in Algeria.[17][18]
Depleted and almost paralyzed, Abdelaziz Bouteflika finally ran for a fourth term in the Algerian presidential election in 2014 and won in the first round. Shortly after the election, while his brother was still barely visible, rumors of Saïd's desire to succeed him were once again emerging.[19][20] In November, one of his relatives,[21] the businessman Ali Haddad, is the only candidate for the head of the Forum of business leaders.[22]
In September 2015, President Bouteflika put an end to the functions of General Toufik,[23] a dismissal interpreted by the fact that the reality of power is in the hands of Saïd Bouteflika.[24]
According to journalist Frédéric Pons, Saïd Bouteflika is preparing the succession of his brother by approaching the moderate Islamists with whom he seeks to give a broad popular base to the new team which will take over the country.[25]
On June 3, 2017, Saïd Bouteflika surprised by coming to support the demonstrators who protest against the treatment given to Rachid Boudjedra by the Ennahar TV channel.[26] He was booed and excluded from the demonstration.[27]
According to Le Matin d'Algérie, in the summer of 2017, Saïd Bouteflika was in the best position to succeed his brother in 2019, but such an event would spark an uprising.[28] The name of former minister Chakib Khelil is also cited.[29]
2019 protests and arrest
Events of March 2019
On March 27, in the context of Hirak, Saïd Bouteflika, Athmane Tartag, Mohamed Mediène and Louisa Hanoune met in a military residence to decide whether to dismiss the head of the army, Ahmed Gaïd Salah, and the maintenance of Bouteflika in exchange for the appointment of a new prime minister responsible for implementing the transition promised in mid-March. After having hesitated on the name of the prime minister, they chose former President Liamine Zéroual, who declined after accepting, citing health reasons and the refusal of the plan by the demonstrators.[30]
In custody
On the evening of 2 April 2019, after the resignation of his brother after being under pressure from the streets and the army, Saïd Bouteflika was reportedly placed[31] under house arrest.[32] On May 4, he was arrested and placed in pre-trial detention for "undermining the authority of the Army" and "conspiracy against the authority of the State", along with Athmane Tartag and Mohamed Mediène.[33][34]
Although forced to wear a prisoner's uniform, Saïd Bouteflika nevertheless had better conditions of detention than other personalities imprisoned at El-Harrach prison, who only have the right to read newspapers.[35]
The trial took place on September 23.[36] Saïd Bouteflika was tried along with the other defendants[37] Louisa Hanoune, the secretary general of the Workers' Party, Mohamed Mediène, the former head of the DRS, and Athmane Tartag, the former coordinator of security services.
Trial at the military court of Blida
During the trial, Saïd Bouteflika rejected the jurisdiction of the military court to try him and refused to answer the judge's questions. He then asked to leave the room and the judge authorized him to do so.[38]
On the second day of the trial, the public prosecutor of the military court of Blida requested a 20-year prison sentence against all the accused.[39] On the third day, the judge brought down a 15-year prison sentence against Saïd Bouteflika for "conspiracy with meetings" aimed at "undermining the authority of the State and the Army."[40]
On September 26, he appealed against the verdict.[41] The appeal trial of Saïd Bouteflika, Athmane Tartag, Mohamed Mediène and Louisa Hanoune was held in front of the military appeals court of Blida on February 9, 2020.[42] His 15-year prison sentence was confirmed.[43]
References
- ^ Extrait de l'Agence de conservation foncière du cadastre et de la cartographie du Maroc
- ^ a b c d e f g h Farid Alilat (5 Aug 2013). "Saïd Bouteflika : Mister mystère". jeuneafrique.com. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
- ^ a b c d Mireille Duteil, Saïd Bouteflika, l'énigme algérienne, Le Point, 28 mars 2014
- ^ "Algérie: Abdelaziz Bouteflika et les siens". L'Express. 8 Apr 2009. Retrieved 5 Jul 2020.
- ^ Résumé de la thèse de Saïd Bouteflika
- ^ Farid Alilat, Algérie : la diplomatie américaine s'intéresse au frère de Bouteflika, Dernières nouvelles d'Algérie Rue89, 05/09/2011
- ^ WikiLeaks. Les frères Bouteflika sont des "rapaces", Gaïd Salah "corrompu" et le Général Toufik qui sait tout sur algerie-focus.com
- ^ Marie Verdier, Mohammed Hachemaoui: "Le service de renseignement détient tous les leviers du pouvoir en Algérie", La Croix, 01/10/2013
- ^ Algérie : quand Saïd Bouteflika orchestre le silence présidentiel
- ^ Abubakr Diallo, Algérie : le frère de Bouteflika soupçonné de signer des décrets, Afrik.com, 08/06/2013
- ^ Farid Aillat, Algérie : Bouteflika forever..., JA.com, 07/10/2013
- ^ Fin d’un règne mouvementé et incertitudes sur l’avenir politique, challenge.ma, 27 septembre 2013
- ^ Alain Jourdan, Saïd Bouteflika veut me faire taire. Il n’y arrivera pas», La Tribune de Genève, 19/09/2013
- ^ Kamel Daoud, Comment l’Algérie a-t-elle pu devenir une monarchie ?, Algérie-Focus, 19/10/2013
- ^ Ihsane El Kadi, Présidentielle : l’armée algérienne divisée, Bouteflika veut peser sur les choix, Algérie-Focus, 28/07/2013
- ^ Mohamed-Chérif Lachichi, Le DRS avait prévenu Bouteflika, Liberté, 04/06/2013
- ^ Algérie. Une ambiance explosive, courrierinternational.com, 7/03/2014 issus de David Porter, counterpunch.org
- ^ Guerre politique en Algérie : Saïd Bouteflika répond à Hicham Aboud, afrik.com, 11 février 2014
- ^ Saïd F. pour Tamurt.info, Saïd Bouteflika se prépare-t-il à succéder à son frère ?, 7 août 2014 et Tout est fait pour oublier la maladie de Bouteflika, 5 août 2014
- ^ Kamel Daoud, Guide de l’Algérie pour visiteur étranger : Discussion autour du cheval de l’Emir, 21 octobre 2014
- ^ Yacine Omar, Ali Haddad : “Oui, je suis proche des responsables militaires et civils”, Algérie focus, 14 novembre 2014
- ^ Ali Titouche, Présidence du FCE : Ali Haddad boucle sa campagne, El Watan, 24 novembre 2014
- ^ AFP. "Bouteflika remercie Toufik, le puissant chef du renseignement algérien". www.lalibre.be. Retrieved 2015-09-13.
- ^ Algérie : "Monsieur Frère" et l'Odjak des janissaires, bernardlugan.blogspot.cz, 19 septembre 2015
- ^ Frédéric Pons, L'inquiétant héritage de Bouteflika », Conflits, No. 13, janv.-mars 2017, p. 13-16
- ^ Mesbah Salim, Le coup politique de Saïd Bouteflika, El Watan, 5 juin 2017
- ^ Ali Attar, Algérie : Saïd Bouteflika exclu du rassemblement contre Ennahar TV Afrik.com, 3 June 2017
- ^ Ahcène Bettahar, Se dirige-t-on droit vers le pire des scénarios en 2019 ? », Le Matin, 23 August 2017
- ^ Jean-Louis Tremblais, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, un président en pointillé », Le Figaro Magazine, semaine du 1st décembre 2017, page 32.
- ^ Adlène Meddi. "Ce que révèle le procès du siècle: les 7 derniers jours de Bouteflika". Le Point. Retrieved 27 September 2019.
- ^ "At the top of the state, the "gang" denounced by Gaid Salah is out of concern". TSA (in French). 2019-04-13. Retrieved 2019-04-14.
- ^ Beau, Nicolas (2019-04-02). "Saïd bouteflika Algeria, Said Bouteflika under house arrest". Mondafrique (in French). Retrieved 2019-04-03.
- ^ Le Point Afrique , "Algeria: Saïd Bouteflika was arrested ”, May 4, 2019
- ^ Athmane Tartag, Mohamed Mediène and Said Bouteflika placed in pretrial detention in Blida, agency APS, May 5, 2019.
- ^ "Algeria - Abdelaziz Bouteflika: internal exile - JeuneAfrique.com". JeuneAfrique.com.
- ^ "The trial of Toufik, Said Bouteflika, Hanoune, Tartag and Nezzar will take place on September 23". Al HuffPost month Maghreb.
- ^ "This is how the trial of Saïd Bouteflika and generals Toufik and Tartag will unfold". Observ'Algérie (in French). 2019-09-23.
- ^ "What you need to know about the trial of Toufik, Tartag, Hanoune and Saïd Bouteflika". Observ'Algérie (in French). 2019-09-24.
- ^ "Algeria: A heavy sentence required against Saïd Bouteflika and Generals Toufik and Tartag". Observ 'Algeria (in French). 2019-09-24.
- ^ Le Monde avec AFP (September 25, 2019). "Algeria: Saïd Bouteflika, ex- "man in the shadows" of the regime, sentenced to fifteen years in prison". Le Monde.
- ^ "The lawyers of S. Bouteflika, Hanoune and Generals Tartag and Toufik appeal the judgment - Algeria360 .com". Retrieved September 26, 2019.
- ^ "En Algérie, Saïd Bouteflika et ses co-accusés seront rejugés en appel le 9 février" [In Algeria, Saïd Bouteflika and his co-defendants will be retried on appeal on February 9]. Le Monde. AFP. February 6, 2020.
- ^ Adlène Meddi (11 February 2020). "Algeria: 15 years in prison for Saïd Bouteflika and his co-defendants". Le Point. lepoint.fr. Retrieved February 11, 2020..