AFP
Algerians were unable to access social media accounts on
Sunday as students sat national exams in the North African country
where authorities are cracking down on cheating.
Social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp were
inaccessible, an AFP journalist said, while the internet faced
disruptions across the country.
The move came a day after the justice ministry announced that a
teenager had been sentenced to one year in jail for having shared
the results of an Arabic-language test online.
The boy was sentenced Wednesday by a court in the northeastern
city of Guelma in line with a penal code amendment adopted in April
that criminalised cheating during the brevet and baccalaureate
examinations, usually taken at the end of secondary and high
school, respectively.
After a spike in cheating during national exams in recent years,
authorities in the North African country adopted legislation under
which those found guilty of wrongdoing could face up to 15 years in
jail.
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According to the justice ministry, courts in Algeria have begun
to hand down jail sentences to individuals accused of having leaked
exam papers or results during the brevet earlier this month.
In 2016, authorities temporarily blocked access to social
networks to prevent cheating after leaked papers forced hundreds of
thousands of students to resit the baccalaureate exam.
Authorities then arrested dozens of people, including the heads
of national exam centres and teachers on suspicion of leaking the
final exam papers.
There was no official comment Sunday from authorities or telecom
officials on the internet disruptions and the lack of access to
social networks.
The baccalaureate exams, which began Sunday, are due to last
until September 17.
AFP
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