Crimes of Insult Committed Against Citizen in Algerian Legislation

Abstract

The citizen has come to occupy an important social and legal status within the Algerian state, reflected in the legislator’s commitment to providing the highest degree of legal, especially criminal, protection for the individual’s personality in both its material and moral aspects, by criminalizing all forms of assault against it. The Algerian legislator has recognized the necessity of protecting the citizen’s right to dignity, honor, and reputation, as this protection is no less important than the right to life and bodily integrity. Accordingly, criminal protection has been provided for the citizen’s dignity, honor, and reputation by criminalizing acts of insult to which a citizen may be subjected. The legislator distinguished between two types of crimes: the crime of insult committed against a citizen by a public official or someone in a similar position, and the crime of insulting a citizen who is charged with performing a public service.