ALGERIA. 100 PEOPLE SENTENCED TO DEATH IN ABSENTIA THIS YEAR

March 9, 2008: about 100 People involved in cases related to terrorism acts, have been sentenced to death in absentia this year by several criminal Courts countrywide, while about 100 others have been sentenced to life.
Courts are precipitated treating as many related to terrorism cases as possible, during the current criminal session. However, judges are treating many cases related to terrorism by issuing in absentia sentences while considering eliminated terrorists as runaway defendants.
Boumerdès' Criminal Court has sentenced 55 terrorists to death, and 25 to life imprisonment during the first couple of weeks of the current criminal session.
In turn, the Court of Jijel has sentenced 16 terrorists to capital punishment in absentia after being charged with attacking two Police cars on September 9th, 2007, in Tahir region, Jijel province. (Sources: El Khabar, 09/03/2008)