Trending 
An Algerian appeals court reduced the prison sentence for historian Mohamed Amine Belghit on Tuesday.
His sentence—for dismissing the existence of Amazigh culture—was cut from five years to three, with two years suspended.
Belghit, a university professor, was sentenced in July after claiming during a televised interview that “the Amazigh language is an ideological project of Franco-Zionist origin” and that “there’s no such thing as Amazigh culture.”
His comments sparked widespread outrage and accusations of hate speech and historical distortion.
Prosecutors charged Belghit with undermining national unity, spreading hate speech, and insulting national symbols following his arrest in May.
His lawyer, Toufik Hichour, confirmed on Facebook that the appeals court had reduced the sentence to three years, with two years suspended.
The Amazigh, often referred to as Berbers, are the indigenous people of North Africa, predating the Arab conquests of the 7th century. They have long sought recognition of their cultural and linguistic rights across Algeria, Morocco, Libya, and Tunisia.
In Algeria, the Amazigh language Tamazight was granted official status in 2016, and the Amazigh New Year, Yennayer, became a national holiday the following year.
Belghit’s controversial statements have repeatedly drawn criticism, with many accusing him of promoting divisive rhetoric and denying the historical significance of Amazigh identity in Algeria’s cultural heritage.
