Algeria´s military court has issued an international arrest warrant for former defense minister and former army chief of staff Major General Khaled Nizar and his son for "conspiracy and disrupting public order," state television reported Tuesday.
The charges are stipulated in the Penal Code as well as in the Military Justice Law, which carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison.
Since the resignation of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika at the beginning of April, the judiciary has opened numerous corruption files and jailed senior political officials, officials and businessmen.
Fearing that the investigation would also affect him, Defense Minister Khaled Nizar decided between 1990 and 1994 to flee to Spain and was joined by his son Lotfi, owner of a telecommunications company.
"The military court in Blida (south of Algiers) has issued an international arrest warrant for former defense minister Khalid Nizar and Lotfi Nizar for conspiracy and public order, a charge punishable under articles 77 and 78 of the penal code and article 284 of the Military Justice Law," state television said. ".
A third person, Farid Belhamdine, operator of the Algerian General Pharmaceutical Company, was also mentioned by the television as also concerned with the international arrest warrant. According to newspapers, this name has already appeared during interrogations with the brother of former President Said Bouteflika.
On May 14, the military court heard Khaled Nizar as a witness in the case of Said Bouteflika, who is in custody on charges of "conspiracy" against the state. For security interests Osman Tartak known as "Bashir."
In a press statement, Nizar accused Bouteflika of seeking to declare a state of emergency, a state of siege and even the intention to sack Lieutenant General Ahmed Kayed Saleh, chief of staff of the Algerian army, before his brother resigns.
