Saïd Bouteflika (Arabic: سعيد بوتفليقة; Berber languages: ⵙⵄⵉⴷ ⴰⵠⵓⵜⴼⵉⵇⴰ; born January 1958)[1] is an Algerian politician and academic.
On 4 May 2019, a month after his brother's resignation, in the context of the protests in Algeria, he was arrested and provisionally imprisoned in the military prison of Blida awaiting trial.
[4] His father Ahmed died when he was a year old, so he was brought up by his mother (who ran a hammam), under the tutelage of his brother Abdelaziz, and thereby by Houari Boumedienne who took power through a coup d'état in 1965.
[4] An American cable from that year, released by Wikileaks, shows Bernard Bajolet indicating that "Corruption, which traces back to the brothers of Bouteflika [Saïd and Abdallah], has reached a new peak and is interfering with economic development".
[12][13] Journalist and former DRS head Hichem Aboud, who revealed the seriousness of the president's condition, accused Saïd Bouteflika of "running the country by proxy", of having "been involved in many corruption cases" and for having persecuted him to silence him.
[16][17] This political war is manifested in particular by a new attack by Hichem Aboud who accused Saïd Bouteflika of massive corruption and drug trafficking, but also of homosexuality, which is illegal in Algeria.
[24] According to journalist Frédéric Pons, Saïd Bouteflika was preparing the succession of his brother by approaching the moderate Islamists with whom he seeks to give a broad popular base to the new team which will take over the country.
[25] On 3 June 2017, Saïd Bouteflika surprised many by coming out and supporting the demonstrators who protested against the treatment given to Rachid Boudjedra by the Ennahar TV Channel.
After having hesitated on the name of the prime minister, they chose former President Liamine Zéroual, who declined after accepting, citing health reasons and the refusal of the plan by the demonstrators.
[30] On the evening of 2 April 2019, after the resignation of his brother after being under pressure from the streets and the army, Saïd Bouteflika was reportedly placed[31] under house arrest.
Saïd Bouteflika was tried along with the other defendants Louisa Hanoune, the secretary general of the Workers' Party, Mohamed Mediène, the former head of the DRS, and Athmane Tartag, the former coordinator of security services.
Bouteflika faced charges of attempting to manipulate the national justice system by influencing judges working on cases related to his business connections.
[44] In October 2022, the Algiers Court of Appeal upheld the first instance judgment sentencing Saïd Boudeflika to eight years in prison, while lifting the seizure of his property.