Algeria’s former counter-terrorism chief Abdelkader Ait-Ouarabi, also known as General Hassan, was sentenced to five years in prison Thursday for allegedly breaching orders and destroying documents. In 2013 he was forced to retire by a military judge, a move thought by many to be an attempt by Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to control the intelligence services in the country. Hassan was tried [AFP/AP report] by a closed-door military tribunal in the city of Oran, though the basis for the charges was not publicly released. The tribunal reportedly did not allow [North Africa Post report] journalists to attend the trial and did not allow General Toufik, another deposed agency head, to testify as requested by Hassan’s lawyers. One of Hassan’s lawyers has announced plans to appeal the conviction.

General Hassan was responsible for leading a war against various groups that lasted over 20 years. In February 2011, the government of Algeria approved [JURIST report] a draft ordinance repealing the country’s 19-year state of emergency. The country had been under a state of emergency since 1992 when the military canceled elections fearing a win by religious fundamentalists. The state of emergency was declared [DOS backgrounder] after it became apparent that the militant Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) would win control of the government and it gave the government power to limit political freedoms and even peaceful protests.