On 25 September, Blida’s military court condemned several figures of the Bouteflika’s power circle, such as the ex-President’s brother Said Bouteflika, Mohamed Mediene and Bachir Tartag to 15 years in prison for “conspiracy against the army” and against the “authority of the state”. All these personalities were part of the political circle that has been de-facto ruling Algeria since Bouteflika suffered a stroke in 2013. According to some media, this sentence seeks to calm down protesters, who have been demanding a purge of old power figures since the fall of the former president. The army, which remains the main player in Algeria’s political arena, stated that it was keen on ensuring a “calm, serene and safe atmosphere” to lead the country to the upcoming presidential elections, set for December 12. While the National Independent Electoral Authority (ANIE) announced that about 80 people have unveiled their plans to run for the presidential elections as of 26 September, protesters around the country continue to claim that no free and fair vote is possible while other senior figures of the old guard remain in power.