A Canadian researcher whose criminal conviction in Algeria was criticized by human rights groups was released from prison Thursday after an appeal court reduced his sentence.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 feeling good, honestly, a little tired from the procedures of getting out of prison, but overall, IB次元官网网址檓 feeling good,B次元官网网址� Raouf Farrah said in a phone interview shortly after his release.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 really looking forward to seeing my daughter again, my wife, to eat with my parents, to talk, to reunite with my family B次元官网网址� the simple things in life.B次元官网网址�
Farrah, a former Montreal resident who studies migration and criminal economies for an international non-governmental organization, was convicted earlier this year of publishing secret information and being paid to commit offences against public order. He has been detained since February.
Human Rights Watch and FarrahB次元官网网址檚 employer, the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, have condemned the charges as being without merit. His release came after a court in the eastern Algerian city of Constantine reduced his sentence from two years to eight months.
Farrah said he tried to make the best of his time in prison. B次元官网网址淚 think anyone who has their freedom taken away automatically finds themselves in what I would say is an uncomfortable situation, but I did everything I could to stay calm, focused and motivated,B次元官网网址� he said.
Kouceila Zerguine, FarrahB次元官网网址檚 lawyer, said he is now seeking to have his clientB次元官网网址檚 conviction reviewed by the Supreme Court of Algeria. B次元官网网址淭his isnB次元官网网址檛 a victory, weB次元官网网址檙e relieved by the fact that heB次元官网网址檚 been released, but the conviction remains,B次元官网网址� Zerguine said in a phone interview.
The Global Initiative said in a news release Thursday that it welcomes the sentence reduction B次元官网网址� though it reiterated that Farrah should never have been convicted.
FarrahB次元官网网址檚 wife, Lara Pocock, said she feels like a weight has been lifted off her chest. Pocock said she feared that FarrahB次元官网网址檚 sentence would be upheld at the appeal hearing and had remained at their home in neighbouring Tunisia, planning to visit him in prison on Monday.
B次元官网网址淭he feeling is really relief and pure joy,B次元官网网址� she said in a phone interview. B次元官网网址淚 had prepared myself for the worst case scenario. I didnB次元官网网址檛 want to be once again harbouring false hopes and then being too sad today.B次元官网网址�
She said she is looking forward to being reunited with Farrah soon and is excited that their four-year-old daughter will see her father for the first time since February.
Born in Algeria, Farrah moved to Canada when he was 18. He lived in Montreal, where he studied at the Universit茅 de Montr茅al, before getting a masterB次元官网网址檚 degree at the University of Ottawa.
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