Résolution du Parlement Européen     "Libérez les journalistes!"     L'Union Européenne presse Alger     Le Parlement Européen condamne     Le Parlement Européen réclame la libération     Rsf se voit systématiquement refuser le visa     Le Parlement européen saisit les autorités algériennes     Message de Mohamed Benchicou     Le délit de dire     Quand une victime devient coupable     Se taire ou disparaître     Rassemblement à la Maison de la Presse     Parce qu'ils ont l'Algérie au coeur     L'avocat de Benchicou répond à Belkhadem     La chronique d'Élisabeth Dath     Vaste mouvement de solidarité en France     Mobilisation pour Mohamed Benchicou     Des sit-in de la Fij devants des ambassades algériennes     Relaxer les journalistes algériens     Appel de l'Humanité     La Fij dénonce     Indignation     Malade, Benchicou restera en Prison     Benchicou est maintenu en prison     Le mur du silence se lézarde     La presse "uniformément correcte"     Journalists behind bars?     Des journalistes derrière les barreaux?     Harcèlement à l'égard de la presse indépendante     Liberté pour les journalistes     Regain de mobilisation     Déclaration     Liberté de la presse     Algérie, morne presse     Harcèlement systématique     Journalistes de tous pays, unissez-vous!     "Benchicou doit être libéré"     Mise au point de Mme Benchicou     Le pluralisme de façade     Les journalistes français solidaires     Escalada de represión     Rsf demande un terme au cauchemar judiciaire     "Benchicou ne mérite pas l'emprisonnement"     Le Matin, Benchicou et Hugo Chavez     "Benchicou paye pour ses écrits"     La normalisation de la société     La presse étroitement surveillée     Fait inédit     La justice algérienne confirme la peine de prison     "On est tous des Benchicou!"     Stifling press freedom     Fine annunciata de un giornale troppo scomodo     Confirmation en appel de la peine de 2 ans de prison     Rsf dénonce une justice inique     Le Matin est suspendu     Déclaration du Comité pour la libération des journalistes     Pitizioni per I giornalisti incarcerati     Le président Bouteflika ferme le jeu     Les sénateurs américains interpellés     Des témoins pour Benchicou     La Fidh s'inquiète des atteintes répétées à la liberté de la presse     Lettre ouverte au président Bouteflika     La tromperie nationale     "La situation de la liberté de la presse, dans ces pays, est lamentable"     Bradage du siège du journal Le Matin     For international plan of action     Une délégation des médias demande un plan international d'action     Concern over "media crisis" in Algeria     "Il y a danger sur les libertés"     Nouvelle agression contre la presse indépendante en Algérie     Algerian press decries journalist's jailing     Suite aux emprisonnements et aux menaces contre la presse     Mme Benchicou saisit le Parlement européen     Paris et la Commission interpellés     "Je n'ai commis aucune infraction"     Pour la libération immédiate de Hafnaoui et Benchicou     Dois anos de prisao para jornalista argelino     Pétition pour la libération de Mohamed Benchicou     Pétition:"Liberez Benchicou!"     Algérie, un pays qui résiste     Cpj calls on authorities to cease campaign of judicial harassment     Omar Belhouchet:"Au suivant!"     Benchicou sentenced to two years in prison     Mohamed Benchicou condamné à 2 ans de prison     Algérie, rapport 2004     "Bouteflika, une imposture algérienne"     In der loyalitätsfalle     "Le Matin ne se laissera pas faire"     Le communiqué du Matin     Bouteflika no puede prohibir un libro     Le livre de Mohamed Benchicou     Les éditeurs de journaux se réunissent     Sas condenado a 6 meses de prisión incondecional     Solidarity with algerian media     Solidarité internationale avec les médias algériens     Rsf denuncia el acoso a que está sometida la prensa     Nuevas detenciones de periodistas en Argelia     Le Matin newspaper harassed by police     Benchicou talks about attitudes to press freedom     Benchicou revient sur les 10 années d'existence d'une presse ébranlée par la guerre   

 16 June 2004

June 16, 2004-Mohamed Benchicou, publisher of the French-language daily Le Matin, was sentenced by an Algiers court to two years in prison on Monday, June 14, for violating Algeria's currency exchange laws, according to Youssef Razzouj, Le Matin's editor.

Benchicou was also ordered to pay a large fine, totaling several hundred thousand dollars and has filed an appeal, Razzouj told CPJ. Benchicou was taken into custody immediately after the verdict was announced to begin serving his sentence.

According to Razzouj, the case against Benchicou was launched in August 2003 when he was returning to Algeria from France. Authorities in the airport questioned Benchicou about credit notes, which are similar to certified bank checks of Algerian dinars issued by an Algerian bank, that were in his possession.

Le Matin and other private Algerian media have accused the Algerian government of filing the case against Benchicou to punish him for his newspaper's relentless criticism of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and other officials.

In particular, Benchicou blamed Algeria's interior minister, Yazid Zerhouni, for being behind the prosecution, according to Agence France-Presse. A Le Matin article in 2003 alleged that Zerhouni was involved in torturing detainees while he was a commander in military security in the 1970s. Several local journalists said Zerhouni alluded to Benchicou last year at a press conference in Djelfa, saying he would "pay" for the reports.

Algerian journalists described the punishment as extremely harsh, noting that imprisonment is rare in such cases.

In the months since Benchicou was charged, the police and prosecutors have summoned the journalist and other Le Matin staff members for questioning several times and have accused Benchicou of defaming government officials, including Bouteflika.

Several defamation suits have been brought against the paper. In August 2003, Le Matin was among several private newspapers-all critical of the government-that were told to pay debts owed to the state-owned printer within 72 hours or they would no longer be published. Benchicou also angered officials in February of 2004, when he published a book titled Bouteflika, An Algerian Fraud.

In recent weeks, Algerian authorities have lodged numerous defamation suits against journalists who have reported on corruption and other official misdeeds, according to local journalists. In late May, another Algerian journalist, Hafnaoui Ghoul, who writes for the Algerian dailies El-Youm and Djazair News, was jailed on defamation charges.

"This case smacks of political score settling," said CPJ Executive Director Ann Cooper. "We call on Algerian authorities to cease their campaign of judicial harassment against the media."

CPJ is a New York-based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide. For more information about press conditions in Algeria, visit http://www.cpj.org/

For further information, contact Joel Campagna (x 103) or Hani Sabra (x 104) at CPJ, 330 Seventh Ave., New York, NY 10001, U.S.A., tel: +1 212 465 1004, fax: +1 212 465 9568, e-mail: mideast@cpj.org, jcampagna@cpj.org, hsabra@cpj.org; Internet: http://www.cpj.org/

**Updates IFEX alerts on the Benchicou case of 15 June, 12, 9 and 3 September and 27 August 2003; for further information on the Ghoul case, see alerts of 11 June, 31 and 28 May 2004**