The repression
that has been stifling the Algerian press worsened yesterday
with the condemnation of five professionals to firm
prison sentences, including the director of the Matin,
Mohamed Benchicou, and Hassane Zerrouky, journalist
for l’Humanité.
The Algerian
powers that be just delivered their definition of liberty
for the press via its court rooms. In the context of
two affairs implicating journalists for the Matin, a
local newspaper whose presses have been silent since
June 2004, the courts of Alger pronounced heavy sentences
against Matin journalists as well as against the director,
Mohamed Benchicou, who has been jailed for the past
ten months at this point.
Youssef Rezzoug,
recently editor-in-chief for the Matin, and Yasmine
Ferroukhi were both sentenced to three months’ imprisonment
for an investigation implicating leaders of Sonatrach,
the Algerian public works company specialized in energy
resources. Abla Chérif, along with Hassane Zerrouky,
journalist for l’Humanité, were condemned to
two months’ prison. As for Mohamed Benchicou, his sentence
is for five months! These sentences are extremely harsh
for an affair where the plaintiffs only requested a
symbolic dinar in compensation. A trial lacking attention
from the media
These condemnations
constitute an attack on the freedom of expression and
basic human rights. The verdict, which initially was
to be pronounced last week, was delayed for a few days
as a result of this newspaper’s mobilization, as well
as the demonstration organized in front of Paris’ Algerian
embassy.
Communist, Socialist
and Green senators and deputies supported our initiative.
Unfortunately, with the exception of Agence France,
the French media didn’t sound the least echo of this
demonstration. Not a single article was published in
this regard.
This deafening
silence is an ally for Algerian president Abdelaziz
Bouteflika, who is using the penal code to browbeat
the journalists. Perhaps their mistake was for resisting
the wave of Muslim fundamentalism during the 1990s while
certain political figures were hiding out far from Alger,
in the shelter of other Arab capitals.
Are our Algerian
colleagues being penalized for doing their jobs, denouncing
abuse in any form, including the misappropriation of
public funds and the implication of certain people close
to the inner circle of power in these affairs which
can be considered white-collar crime?
Clearly, the
Algerian powers that be don’t appreciate having their
laundry washed in public. Today, all journalists are
targets of repression. However the “Matin” bears the
strongest brunt, for having established a direct link
for such affairs between the development of a liberal
privatisation strategy of Algerian national resources
and the increasing pauperisation of the population.
Under such conditions,
freedom of expression and association are extremely
limited, and those who point a finger at corruption
and make vague attempts at maintaining the society’s
democratic principles have become dangerous agitators
who must be silenced. Economic sanctions are not adequate,
so prisons have become silent chambers. Basically, that
is the message that the Algerian authorities are getting
across.
What recently
happened to the director of “Soir d’Algérie”
is another example of such methods. The court of appeals
of Alger examined the law suit opposing the “Soir d’Algérie”
and the board of directors of the Algerian customs office.
Initially, Fouad Boughanem, director of the publication,
and Djillali Hadjadj, author of the “Soir corruption”
column were slapped with a fine for having published
an article in January 2002 on the customs office. When
this went to the court of appeals, the State prosecutor
asked that the sentence be made more severe. The suit
is still under deliberation. Every week, newspaper directors
and journalists are being dragged in front of the tribunals
like petty criminals.
“We support our
Algerian journalist colleagues, and we are asking the
Algerian government to respect the unfettered profession
of journalism.” This is one of seven resolutions adopted
during the first meeting of Mediterranean journalists
in Almeria, Spain on April 16th. Meeting participants
asked the Algerian government “to respect freedom of
the press and to agree not to put journalists behind
bars.
They also called
on the government to revise or modify the penal code
“so as to protect and guarantee the liberty and plurality
of information” and to thus ensure the independence
of the judiciary powers. In their final declaration,
the Almeria attendees hope that “solidarity among Mediterranean
journalists may provide an effective means of fighting
against any form of pressure or censure aiming to stifle
the right to information.”
In Algeria, journalists
are thrown into prison like petty criminals by a State
which in the meantime is concocting a law granting amnesty
to the murderers of the 1990s. Communist senators Éliane
Assassi and Nicole Borvo have appealed to Michel Barnier,
the French minister for foreign affairs on two different
occasions regarding these infringements to the freedom
of the press. Mr Barnier has so far not deigned to respond.
Abla Chérif,
Yasmine Ferroukhi, Youssef Rezzoug and Hassane Zerrouky
have decided to appeal these wrongful condemnations.
A protest march is being scheduled in Paris for the
near future. Demonstrations in front of Algerian consulates
may also be carried out in the provinces. As of today,
the courts must examine the request to free Mohamed
Benchicou, who has been again sentenced to five months’
incarceration.
These attacks
have a name: State terrorism. The international response
must be forceful so as to counter the desire to stifle
Algerian democratic expression. Non-profit organisations
and journalists may also take action in order to help
free our colleagues, and specifically, Mohamed Benchicou.
Let us together take a stand against silence and repression
of the voice of democracy and freedom.
Pierre
BARBANCEY
translated
by Laura
WHEELER |
