Following widespread controversy, the Algerian judiciary condemned the famous TikToker Mohamed Ramzi, known for the phrase "Yahmad Rayak." Ramzi was accused of presenting indecent acts and replicating the "hugging strangers" experiment, which sparked significant public outrage and divided opinions between supporters and critics. On Thursday, he was sentenced to two months of suspended imprisonment and a fine of 500,000 dinars after being charged with two infractions: public indecency and presenting indecent acts.
The case dates back to last summer when the accused replicated a social experiment known in Europe, which involved hugging strangers on the street. In another incident during the same period, he published a video featuring magic tricks alongside two girls wearing short dresses, one of whom had a tattoo, which was deemed an offensive video.
While the TikToker was initially acquitted in the primary court, his case was appealed by the prosecutor to the Algiers Court of Appeal, where he was ultimately convicted. Opinions among the public were divided; some defended him, claiming he did not force anyone to hug, while others considered the mere suggestion of such ideas to be strange and unacceptable in Algerian society.
Social science expert Ahmed Qouaria stated to "Al-Arabiya.net" that there is a need for a specific code of conduct for content creators based on legal provisions. He explained that content creators must, in all cases, respect certain regulations and values in society across all levels.
