(WAN/IFEX) – In a 28 March 2002 letter to Prime Minister Ali Benflis, WAN and the World Editors Forum (WEF) expressed their serious concern at the bringing of eleven new charges of defamation against the daily “Le Matin”. According to reports, on 26 March, the Ministry of Defence accused “Le Matin” of eleven counts of […]
(WAN/IFEX) – In a 28 March 2002 letter to Prime Minister Ali Benflis, WAN and the World Editors Forum (WEF) expressed their serious concern at the bringing of eleven new charges of defamation against the daily “Le Matin”.
According to reports, on 26 March, the Ministry of Defence accused “Le Matin” of eleven counts of defamation. Mohamed Benchicou, the director of “Le Matin”, and columnist Sid Ahmed Semiane have been ordered to appear in court on 9 April to answer the charges. The magazine is already the subject of six complaints by the Ministry of the Defence (see IFEX alerts of 31 and 30 January 2002 and others). Defamation is punishable by a fine of up to 42,800 euros (approx. US$37,286).
WAN and WEF expressed their concern that the defamation charges against “Le Matin” may be being brought in an attempt to force the newspaper to close through financial pressure.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to the prime minister:
– reminding him that the right to freedom of expression is guaranteed by numerous international agreements, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 19 of which states: “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes the freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media, regardless of frontiers”
– calling on him to do everything possible to ensure that the defamation charges against “Le Matin” are immediately dropped and that in future Algeria fully respects international standards of freedom of expression
Appeals To
The Right Honourable Ali Benflis
Prime Minister
Algeria
Please copy appeals to WAN.
