Tue, 4 Jul 2006
Reporters Without Borders today hailed President Abdelaziz
Bouteflika's decision to issue a pardon on Algeria's independence day tomorrow
for all journalists convicted of defamation or insulting state institutions,
but urged him to carry out reforms.
"President Bouteflika's pardon suggests he would like to make a fresh start,
but we call on him to confirm this desire by carrying out real reforms that
would take the pressure off journalists," the press freedom organisation
said.
"The reforms should include the decriminalization of press offences so
that journalists can work freely, without fear of getting a prison sentence
at any moment," Reporters Without Borders continued. "Article 144
of the criminal code, for example, provides for sentences of two to 12 months
in prison and often exorbitant fines for insulting or defaming the president.
If reforms are not carried out quickly, we could be back where we were in six
months, with dozens of journalists sentenced to imprisonment."
Former Le Matin managing editor Mohamed Benchicou,
who was himself recently released from prison, told Reporters Without Borders:
"This is clearly a welcome move but it is meant to benefit the government
rather than the press. It has come late after three years of unprecedented political,
police, judicial and fiscal harassment in which seven journalists were imprisoned
and 23 others were given prison sentences."
Benchicou added: "The president must establish press freedom in a structural
way. This would entail several measures. The authorities would have to stop
all this hounding of journalists and the free press. They would also have to
allow Le Matin the right to resume publishing and return my passport."
An Algiers court heard 67 cases in a special session yesterday and either dismissed
charges or imposed only token sentences in all cases, according to journalists
and lawyers present.
Reporters Without Borders previously condemned a pardon issued by President Bouteflika on World Press Freedom Day on 3 May as, in practice, it benefited no journalist. It applied only to journalists who had been "definitively" convicted and therefore excluded all those who had lodged appeals against their convictions.
Maghreb
& Middle-East Desk
Lynn TEHINI
Reporters Without Borders
5 rue Geoffroy-Marie
F - 75009 Paris
33 1 44 83 84 78
33 1 45 23 11 51 (fax)
middle-east@rsf.org
www.rsf.org
www.leblogmedias.com (en français)
