Algeria court acquits protester on trial for flying Berber flag

An Algerian court has acquitted a man who was arrested for flying the Berber flag during recent demonstrations, local media reported on Wednesday, after he faced ten years in jail for the action.

The court in the northeast city of Annaba ordered the release of Nadir Fetissi, who was arrested last month for showing off the minority group's banned flag.

The public prosecutor had sought a ten sentence and a hefty fine against Fetissi.

Army chief Ahmed Gaid Salah has banned all flags other than the national colours at protest rallies, which began in February against former president Abdelaziz Bouteflika's bid to seek a fifth term.

Salah, a longtime ally of Bouteflika, has become Algeria's de-facto strongman since the 82-year-old president left office in April following weeks of protests

Last month, 41 people were arrested for flying the Berber flag during demonstrations.

Amnesty International condemned the arrests as an "escalating... crackdown on peaceful protesters".

Algeria's Berber minority has long suffered marginalisation.

The Kabyle, who are the largest Berber minority in Algeria, have long called for greater rights with some separatist movements even calling for an independent Berber state.

In recent years, Algerian authorities have attempted to quell Berber discontent.

The Tamazight language was first given official status in Algeria in 2002, a year after bloody riots left 126 people dead in Kabylie.

Last year, authorities designated Berber New Year as a public holiday.