Algeria

On 13 May 1996, Mohamed Zetili and Mustapha Nattour, publisher and editor-in-chief respectively of the satirical weekly “Mesmar”, were arrested at their home by police in the city of Constantine. As well, Mohamed Nacer Belfounes, a cartoonist with “Mesmar”, was arrested on the afternoon of 14 May. No reason was given by Algerian authorities for […]

On 7 My 1996, the independent daily “El Watan” suspended publication following the refusal of a public printing press, the Societe d’impression d’Alger, to print it. While no official reason was given for the printing press’s action, it seems to be linked to the publication of “security-related” information. Previously, on 25 April, “El Watan” did […]

During the evening of 20 August 1995, Ameur Ouageni, head of the international news department at the French-language independent daily “Le Matin”, was shot and critically wounded in front of his home in Algiers. He died of his wounds in a hospital later that night. No group has claimed responsibility for the assassination. But CPJ […]

The CPJ confirms the previously unreported death of another Algerian journalist. Ahmed Takouchet, a journalist with Radio Cirta of Constantine who was popularly known as “Hakim,” was kidnapped from his home by four men on 17 June 1995. His body was found the next day with his throat slit.

The body of Naima Hamouda, a cultural reporter with the weekly “Revolution africaine” and formerly with “Le Matin” and “L’Hebdo libere”, was discovered on 2 August 1995, near an apartment building where she had been staying in the Algiers suburb of Saoula. She had been shot to death and severely disfigured. Her remains were not […]

The government evening paper “Horizons” was suspended on 30 May 1995 by the Minister of Communications for “crossing the line of conduct of the State”. The paper had published an article denouncing the shortage of paper in Algeria and accusing those in power of being responsible for “delivering a severe blow to freedom of expression […]

Abdelkader Hadj Benaamane, the Tamanrasset correspondent for the official news agency Algerie Presse Service (APS), was arrested over ten days ago and is being held in a prison in the region of Tamanrasset. Charges have not yet been officially brought against Abdelkader Hadj Benaamane, but seem to be in connection with an internal wire written […]

Makhlouf Boukhezar, a journalist with the Algerian state television network ENTV, was killed in his home in Constantine overnight from 3 to 4 April 1995. His attackers, who passed themselves off a police officers, slashed the journalist’s throat. According to RSF, Makhlouf Boukhezar death brings the total of journalists killed in Algeria since May 1993 […]

**Updates IFEX CH alert dated 20 March 1995** Algerian State Television (ENTV) reporter Rachida Hammadi, who was seriously wounded in a 20 March 1995 attack that killed her sister, died of her wounds overnight on 30 March in a hospital in Paris, to which she had been transferred on 26 March. The Armed Islamic Group […]

**Updates IFEX CH alert dated 6 March 1995** RSF confirms the lifting of the ban on the French-language daily “La Tribune”; the newspaper resumed publication on 8 March. The daily was banned on 5 March by order of the Minister of the Interior.

**Updates IFEX CH alert dated 17 January 1995** Mohammed Zaaf, a correspondent for the Italian news agency ANSA who was arrested with two of his sons on 14 January 1995 and accused of “harbouring a known islamic militant,” remains in detention. After being held for questioning on 14 January (see IFEX alert), Mohammed Zaaf was […]

The Algerian Ministry of Communications suspended the weekly “La Nation” “until further notice” on 31 January 1995. A faxed notice was sent to the newspaper’s printer. The week before, minister Mohammed Benamar Zerhouni had said that he “reserved the right to use all available measures…against” the newspaper, after it published a letter said to have […]