AFP reports that Algeria's former head of counter-terrorism, Abdelkader Ait-Ouarabi, will appear in military court on Thursday for accusations of "destroying documents and disobeying military instructions."
Ait-Ouarabi, also known as General Hassan, was forcibly retired in 2013 after twenty years of counter-terrorism and counterintelligence for the Algerian government.
He was arrested in August 2015 after a period of surveillance for possessing firearms, withholding information and insubordination, according to AFP.
Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika replaced another high-ranking counterintelligence official in September 2015. General Mohameh Mediene, also known as General Toufik, was forcibly retired after 25 year as the head of the DRS intelligence agency.
General Toufik is nicknamed the "God of Algeria" for his long-reaching influence and infiltration of Algeria.
Both General Hassan and General Toufik were involved in gathering intelligence during the Algerian Civil War. Very little is known about the workings and scope of the DRS and other Algerian counter-terrorism organizations.
It is suspected that President Bouteflika restructured the counterintelligence agencies to maintain more presidential power and control over the organizations.
