Press and other media in Algeria

[Al-khiyal]

« Le projet sera relancé après l’Aïd », selon Boukerzaza

October 12, 2007 -- The Algerian government plans to reopen debate of the country's law on journalists, Minister of Communications Abderrachid Boukerzaza announced on October 3rd. Despite the appearance of private-sector media and numerous promises of a new law, there has been a legal vacuum in the industry since a 1990 information code failed to regulate the profession.

Journalists want a law that defines their rights and responsibilities, particularly concerning matters of recruitment, training and career advancement. The current situation is extremely vague. Several newspapers do not cover employees' social security contributions, and many rely on poorly paid interns who have no social security whatsoever.

The national union of journalists also wants the law to establish a national identification card for journalists. At present, it is unknown exactly how many journalists work in Algeria and despite several attempts in the 1990s the card has never been successfully implemented.

Boukerzaza's predecessor, El Hachemi Djiar, now youth and sports minister, set the wheels in motion last year by initiating seven months of consultations in an effort to draft a new law. A bill was drawn up and scheduled, Djiar said, and is now waiting for action from Prime Minister Abdelaziz Belkhadem and the cabinet.

According to Dr. Brahim Brahimi, an information law expert involved in writing the recent draft, the new law would enable the government to establish order in a profession that has been managed informally since deregulation in 1991. Despite contributions from a team of information experts, jurists, journalists and representatives of the Ministry of Communications, the draft simply sat with the Ministry of Labour. "I don't understand why it didn’t get anywhere," Brahimi said, "or why the incumbent minister isn’t even talking about it." Brahimi spoke of a "legal vacuum" since the information code was passed in 1990 and said a formal law was expected to follow shortly thereafter.

Mourad Ait-Oufella, who works at the headquarters of the National Union of Journalists said the fact that there is a new man in charge at the Ministry of Communications does not mean that the completed work must be looked at again. "We’ve spent months discussing and considering journalism laws in various countries," he said. "Now it looks as though we’re back to square one, as happened with the information code when various ministers kept on putting forward their own drafts."

Abdelkader Djamel, an international adviser on socio-economic affairs and former head of the Labour Institute is also at pains to understand how journalists can be governed by outdated laws in a country that has made the transition to a market economy. He told Magharebia that Algeria needs to "come up with specific standards and guarantees" for journalists.

"Journalists aren’t merely employees," he said. "They’re also creators so their pay should reflect this and they should be given more flexibility in their working hours. They also need a special career plan in which people are promoted on the basis of their abilities, not their qualifications."

In the meantime, those who will be affected by the new law are passing the buck and journalists continue to work in an environment of uncertainty, often with no social security protections, for low salaries and subject to hiring and firing at will by editors.

The current information code has put a strain on relations between journalists and the government. It imposes prison sentences on journalists for defamation or the disclosure of state secrets. It was beefed up by an amendment to the Penal Code in 2000 which provided for tougher sentences. Prison sentences have been handed to a number of journalists including Le Matin chief Mohamed Benchicou, who served two years in prison in 2004 and saw his publication fold.

Algerian government remains indecisive on journalists' law

[Al-khiyal]

Lundi 15 Octobre 2007 -- Anis Rahmani, célèbre journaliste et ancien directeur de la rédaction de Echourouk est sur le point de lancer un nouveau quotidien en langue arabe qui aura pour nom Ennahar. M. Rahmani compte faire sortir le premier numéro le 1er Novembre, fête du déclenchement de la glorieuse Révolution.

Anis Rahmani lance un nouveau journal Ennahar le 1er novembre

[Al-khiyal]

Mardi 16 Octobre 2007 -- La liberté de la presse se porte toujours mal en Algérie. Dans le classement mondial de la liberté de la presse 2007 rendu public aujourd’hui par l’association Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF), l’Algérie occupe la 123ème place sur un total de 169 pays, en légère amélioration par rapport au précédent classement de 2006. Malgré un net recul des assassinats de journalistes par les groupes terroristes et des poursuites judiciaires engagées par les pouvoirs publics, les journalistes algériens restent sous pression.

Dans ce classement, l’Algérie fait mieux que la Tunisie (145ème) mais moins bien que le Maroc malgré un recul jugé inquiétant de la liberté de la presse dans ce pays.

«Le bilan des pays d’Afrique du Nord est très mitigé avec des remontées peu significatives en Algérie (123e) et en Tunisie (145e) et des chutes inquiétantes : celles du Maroc (106e) et de l'Égypte (146e), en raison des nombreuses poursuites judicaires engagées contre la presse indépendante. Les enquêtes publiées sur les abus policiers, le recours à la torture durant les interrogatoires ou encore le manque d’indépendance de la justice ont enragé les autorités égyptiennes qui ont resserré l’étau autour des journalistes indépendants. Malgré toutes les pressions subies, ces derniers ont ouvertement montré leur manque d’enthousiasme concernant l’éventuelle succession de Gamal Moubarak, fils de l’actuel président», note l’ONG française de défense des journalistes.

Le Koweït (63ème) est le premier pays arabe du classement 2007. Il devance les Émirats Arabes Unis (65ème). Le Qatar, propriétaire de la chaîne de télévision Al Jazeera, arrive en 79ème position. Dans ces pays du Golfe, «les autorités ont fait preuve de plus d’ouverture et, dans certains cas, des initiatives ont été prises afin de modifier le cadre juridique, dans un sens plus libéral. Cependant, l'autocensure reste omniprésente dans la presse de ces pays», selon RSF. Autre bonne nouvelle en provenance du Golfe: «l’Arabie saoudite (148e) quitte, pour la première fois, les vingt derniers du classement».

Enfin, sans surprise, deux pays nordiques – l’Islande et la Norvège - occupent les deux premières places du classement. Et L'Érythrée arrive, pour la première fois, en dernière position.

Liberté de la presse : l’Algérie toujours mauvaise élève

[Al-khiyal]

Mercredi 17 Octobre 2007 -- L’Association des jeunes du village de Tala Amara (Tizi Rached) a décidé de rendre hommage, aujourd’hui et demain jeudi, à la mémoire du regretté journaliste de la télévision Smaïl Yefsah, lâchement assassiné le 18 octobre 1993 par un groupe terroriste à Bab-Ezzouar (Alger). À l’occasion de ce 14e anniversaire, les jeunes de Tala Amara, son village natal, procéderont, ce matin, à l’inauguration d’une exposition retraçant la vie et l’itinéraire du journaliste disparu et organiseront, demain jeudi, une cérémonie de recueillement sur la tombe du regretté Smaïl Yefsah que les jeunes de la localité ne sont pas près d’oublier.

14e anniversaire de l’assassinat du journaliste de l’ENTV : Hommage à Smaïl Yefsah

[Al-khiyal]

October 18, 2007 -- The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today condemned a wave of recent attacks on journalists in Algeria, particularly in Djelfa, where journalists are being charged under the penal code for press offences.

“The Algerian government use of the criminal code to prosecute journalists has created a hostile atmosphere for independent journalism,” said IFJ General Secretary Aidan White. “We are calling on the government to decriminalise press offences and stop sending reporters to jail.”

The IFJ and its Algerian affiliate, the Syndicat National des Journalistes (SNJ) have been urging authorities to decriminalise press offences, ensure fair trials for media and a withdrawal of prison sentences against journalists.

On Monday Dhif Talal, correspondent for the Arabic-language newspaper Al Fadjr in Djelfa, was sentenced under the penal code to 6 months in jail after he was convicted on defamation charges brought against him by the Ministry of Agriculture. The charges stemmed from an article Talal wrote exposing huge losses of public funds due to poor administration in the local Department of Agriculture.

Talal plans to appeal his sentence.

In the same region, Ouahid Oussama, correspondent at daily Arabic-language newspaper Al Bilad, has been summoned to appear before the court on 19 November to face defamation charges. The Director of the Department of Education of Djelfa brought the charges after the journalist made a report criticizing the failures of the education system in Djelfa.

Another journalist in Djelfa, El-Youm correspondent Hafnaoui Ghoul, has been harassed by the local authorities for his critical reporting of local authorities’ practices.

“Algeria has been using its criminal law to silence any critical voices and journalists continue to be victims of this repressive tactic,” White said. “We are calling on the government to make a commitment to press freedom and to allow media to work independently without fear of reprisals.”

The IFJ has worked with the SNJ and other affiliates worldwide to end criminal defamation laws that can lead to jail terms for journalists.

International Federation of Journalists condemns wave of attacks on journalists in Algeria

[Al-khiyal]

Jeudi 18 Octobre 2007 -- Le Syndicat national des journalistes (SNJ) dénonce avec la plus grande fermeté la condamnation à six mois de prison ferme prononcée, lundi dernier, par le tribunal de Djelfa à l'encontre de notre collègue Talal Dhif, journaliste correspondant du quotidien arabophone Al Fadjr. Ce nouvel acharnement de l'appareil judiciaire contre les plumes libres témoigne de la situation précaire de la liberté de la presse en Algérie. La condamnation pour diffamation du journaliste Talal Dhif en est une parfaite illustration. Le comble, c'est que les investigations menées par M. Talal ont permis à cette même autorité judiciaire de condamner en 2004, à la prison ferme, le responsable de la Direction de l'agriculture de la wilaya de Djelfa.

D’autres journalistes risquent de subir la même sentence dans cette localité. Oussama Ouahid, journaliste correspondant au quotidien arabophone Al Bilad, doit affronter, le 19 novembre 2007, le directeur de l'éducation de la wilaya de Djelfa. Ce dernier accuse le journaliste de l'avoir diffamé dans un article critique sur la situation de l'éducation dans cette ville.

Face à ce qui s’apparente à une volonté concertée d'étouffer les voix des correspondants de presse à Djelfa, le Syndicat national des journalistes interpelle les autorités du pays à mettre un terme à ces agissements et à la cessation des poursuites judiciaires engagées contre les journalistes. Le Syndicat national des journalistes, acteur dans la campagne mondiale pour la décriminalisation du délit de presse, appelle l'ensemble des confrères à se mobiliser pour que cesse la mise au pas de la presse algérienne.

Le correspondant du quotidien Al Fadjr condamné à 6 mois de prison ferme : Le SNJ dénonce

[Al-khiyal]

Dilem décroche le Grand Prix du Festival international de l’humour

Award for Algerian cartoonist, Ali Dilem