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 84
33 1 45 23 11 51 (fax)
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