The Tahkout family retrial Algeria case has been reopened after the Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court accepted an appeal and ordered the case to be sent back to the Algiers Court for a new trial before a different panel of judges.
The decision, reported by the Algerian media outlet Echorouk, was issued on Thursday, March 12. The Supreme Court granted the appeal for review and remand filed by both the public prosecutor’s office at the Court of Algiers and the defense lawyers representing several members of businessman Mahieddine Tahkout’s family.
As a result of the ruling, the case will now return to the Algiers Court, where it will be examined again during a new judicial proceeding. The retrial must be conducted by a panel of judges different from the one that previously ruled on the matter.
The case involves allegations that several members of the Tahkout family engaged in activities aimed at obstructing the proper conduct of judicial investigations. Prosecutors accuse the defendants of concealing and illegally managing assets in an attempt to interfere with ongoing investigations.
Under Algerian legislation on the prevention and fight against corruption, particularly Law 01/06, the defendants face several serious charges. These include money laundering through the concealment of assets and income derived from corruption-related offenses.
Authorities also accuse some of the defendants of obstructing justice and interfering with ongoing investigations. Additional allegations include perjury in corruption-related proceedings and exerting pressure on court-appointed administrators responsible for managing assets that had been seized during earlier investigations.
The Tahkout family retrial Algeria decision comes after a previous trial concluded with a range of sentences for several defendants linked to the case.
In a ruling issued on March 23, 2025, the criminal division of the Algiers Court handed down prison sentences against several members of the family. Rachid Tahkout, Ibrahim Tahkout, and Hamid Tahkout were each sentenced to eight years in prison without the possibility of parole.
Other defendants received shorter prison terms. Bilal Tahkout was sentenced to five years in prison, while Ali Tahkout received a four-year sentence. Youssef Tahkout was sentenced to three years in prison.
At the same time, the court acquitted Nacer Tahkout and nine other defendants involved in the case. The proceedings also implicated several individuals outside the family, including employees of the municipality of Réghaïa.
For these defendants, sentences ranged from 18 months in prison to prison terms of one to five years, while others were acquitted following the court’s deliberations.
In addition to prison sentences, the court ordered the confiscation of assets linked to the case. This included real estate, bank accounts, and other properties identified in seizure reports prepared by the investigating judge at the Economic and Financial Crimes Division of the Sidi M’hamed Court.
The Supreme Court’s decision to reopen the case marks a new phase in a sensitive legal affair that has attracted attention in Algeria due to the prominence of the Tahkout family.
The upcoming retrial before the Algiers Court will allow judges to re-examine the charges, evidence, and legal arguments presented by both the prosecution and the defense, potentially leading to new rulings in one of the country’s notable corruption-related cases.
Sami B. is the founder and editor of Algeria News Gate, an independent English-language platform covering Algeria’s political, economic, and business developments. Based in Europe, he reports on official announcements, economic trends, and international relations involving Algeria.