Journalists demonstrate against Penal Code defamation provision reforms
(FIJALGER/IFEX) – On Sunday 22 April 2001, over 100 journalists held a one hour demonstration in front of the National Popular Assembly (Assemblée populaire Nationale, APN, first house of parliament) to demand that members of parliament reject the proposed Penal Code defamation provision reforms. The demonstration was organised by the National Union of Journalists (Syndicat […]
Two journalists sentenced to six months? imprisonment
(FIJALGER/IFEX) – On Saturday 7 April 2001, the tribunal of Oran (400 km west of Algiers) sentenced Arab Izarouken, publication director of the Oran-based regional daily “La Voix de l’Oranie”, and Aouari Abdelkrim, local columnist with the same newspaper, to six monthsâ imprisonment with no chance of parole for libel. “La Voix de l’Oranie” is […]
IFJ Algerian Centre condemns proposed amendments to Penal Code defamation provisions
(FIJALGER/IFEX) – The proposed amendments to Penal Code defamation provisions provides for long prison sentences for journalists and heavy fines for both journalists and publications. The text was adopted by the Council of Ministers at the end of February 2001 and presented to the National Popular Assembly’s (Assemblée Populaire Nationale, APN, first house of parliament) […]
Journalist arrested at border post
(FIJALGER/IFEX) – Independent journalist El Kadi Ihsane was recently arrested by border police at the Oum Tboul border post. Several Algerian newspapers have reported that the journalist was travelling to Tunisia on a family vacation when he was arrested. Few details are currently available on the reasons behind the journalist’s arrest. However, the daily “El […]
Television journalist on hunger strike
(FIJALGER/IFEX) – On Sunday 23 July 2000, Nawal Ayadh, a journalist with Algerian national television’s station in Ouargla (800 km south-east of Algiers), started a hunger strike at the Tahar Djaout Press Centre, following what she labelled her arbitrary dismissal from ENTV, the only national television station in Algeria. On 20 August 1998, Ayadh went […]
President Bouteflika calls journalists’ visit to Israel “treason”
(FIJALGER/IFEX) – On 30 June 2000, Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika qualified the visit of Algerian journalists and academics to Israel as “treasonous.” During a speech on 30 June before the Tunisian parliament in Tunis, where he was on an official visit, the Algerian president notably stated that “those who dared to visit the Zionist entity […]
Journalists insulted and threatened because of visit to Israel
(FIJALGER/IFEX) – The arrival of a delegation of Algerian academics and journalists in Tel Aviv on Sunday 25 June 2000 gave rise to a number of extremely violent reactions from the Algerian president, parties of the ruling coalition, organisations close to the circles of power and public and private media which are close to Islamic […]
Two journalists sentenced
(FIJALGER/IFEX) – Two Algerian journalists were sentenced by the Correctional Court of Constantine (400 km east of Algiers) on Saturday 12 February 2000. C. Mechakra, a correspondent in Constantine with the French-language daily “El Watan”, was ordered to pay a symbolic fine of 1,000 dinars (approx. US$16), and a symbolic one dinar in damages was […]