Algeria postpones trial of Bouteflika’s brother

Said Bouteflika, brother of former Algerian president Abdelaziz Bouteflika, is on trial for corruption. (File/AFP)

• The corruption trial of ousted Algerian president Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s younger brother, slated to begin this month, will be postponed for two weeks
• He remains in custody on corruption charges, along with several other political and business leaders from the Bouteflika era

ALGIERS: A court in the Algerian capital on Sunday postponed the corruption trial of the younger brother of ousted president Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who died this month, local media reported.
Defense lawyer Miloud Brahimi requested the postponement, citing Said Bouteflika’s “psychological condition” after the Sept. 17 death of his brother.
Algerian media said the 63-year-old who served as presidential adviser appeared pale and weak at the court hearing.
The trial of Bouteflika and several co-defendants in the capital’s Dar el-Beida suburb was delayed until Oct. 10, but a defense request for their release on bail was turned down.
Said Bouteflika was detained in May 2019, a month after his brother quit office following mass protests against his bid for a fifth presidential term.
Said was sentenced to 15 years in prison for “plotting” against the army and the state, but a retrial in January cleared him of those charges.
He remains in custody on corruption charges, along with several other political and business leaders from the Bouteflika era.
The once-mighty presidential aide was long seen as the real power running the North African country after his brother suffered a debilitating stroke in 2013.