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Algerian activist gets 10 years in prison for 'inciting atheism'

Yacine Mebarki was also fined 10 million Algerian dinars ($77,400) after police found a Quran with a missing page in his home.
Algerian journalists gather in protest to demand the release of their colleague Khaled Drareni, who was sentenced earlier this month to three years in jail for "inciting an unarmed gathering" and "endangering national unity", in the capital Algiers on August 24, 2020. - The Algerian justice system has in recent months increased the court cases and convictions against alleged Hirak militants, opposition politicians, journalists and social media users. (Photo by RYAD KRAMDI / AFP) (Photo by RYAD KRAMDI/AFP vi

An Algerian activist received 10 years in prison for "inciting atheism" and insulting Islam, a sentence rights groups say is the longest yet for participants in the anti-government protests that erupted last year. 

Yacine Mebarki, 52, was also convicted of “undermining national unity” and fined 10 million Algerian dinars ($77,400). He was arrested on Sept. 30 at his home in the eastern city of Khenchela. 

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