(RSF/IFEX) – On 13 August 2002, RSF voiced its concern about the recurrence of cases in which individuals or groups have reacted to press criticism by threatening journalists. The latest target of threats is caricaturist Djamel Noun, of the Arabic-language daily “El Youm”. He recently went into hiding for three days after being threatened by […]
(RSF/IFEX) – On 13 August 2002, RSF voiced its concern about the recurrence of cases in which individuals or groups have reacted to press criticism by threatening journalists. The latest target of threats is caricaturist Djamel Noun, of the Arabic-language daily “El Youm”. He recently went into hiding for three days after being threatened by employees of the state-owned ENTV (Entreprise Nationale de la Télévision) television station on 7 August over a cartoon lampooning the station’s recruitment policies.
“This is the second time in the space of one month that citizens have decided to take justice into their own hands by threatening a journalist,” RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard noted. “This serious incident furthers the collapse of the rule of law and demonstrates that the notion of press freedom is without meaning in Algeria,” Ménard stated. “The organisation is concerned over the repeated use by citizens of intimidation tactics against journalists and calls on the Algerian authorities to quickly put an end to this climate of impunity,” he added.
Noun resurfaced on 10 August after spending three days in hiding. He said he had been forced to change his place of residence because of threats by ENTV employees. “Everyone heard them say that they knew where I lived and had decided to ‘be done’ with me,” Noun explained, referring to the employees’ 7 August protest outside the newspaper’s offices. He also claimed that the television station had begun a smear campaign against him at the behest of the television employees’ union president, Djamel Mâafa. He was described as a “terrorist” and placed on a level footing with the now-deceased leader of the Armed Islamic Group (Groupe islamique armé, GIA), Antar Zouabri.
The 7 August protest began at about 4:00 p.m. (local time), when several dozen ENTV employees gathered outside “El Youm”‘s offices at the Tahar-Djaout Press Centre in Algiers. The agitated protesters reportedly tried to force their way into the newspaper’s offices. After spurning an invitation to send in a three-member delegation, they allegedly began to insult “El Youm” journalists and threaten Noun. The protesters reportedly told journalists who were at the scene that they would “ransack everything” if they managed to get inside the building, and that they would take legal action against “those responsible” for the newspaper.
On 30 July 2002, the newspaper was ordered to pay 210,000 dinars (approx. US$2,635; 2,673 euros) in damages further to an ENTV libel lawsuit over an article alleging improprieties in the financial management of the television station.
