The Sidi M’hamed Court in the center of the Algerian capital, on Sunday, ruled a five-year prison sentence, including three, against the Algerian journalist, Ihssan El-Kadi , who has been arrested since December, on charges of receiving funds from abroad.

The judge sentenced the journalist, during a public session, attended by the accused, to "three years of active imprisonment, two years of non-enforceable imprisonment, and a fine of 700,000 dinars (about 4,800 euros)."

Immediately after the verdict was pronounced, the journalist raised his hand in the sign of victory before being removed from the courtroom.

"The verdict will be appealed within the required deadlines, according to the prior agreement with our client," said lawyer Abd al-Ghani Badi, a member of the defense team that boycotted the trial sessions and the pronouncement of the verdict, in protest against "the lack of conditions for a fair trial."