Skip to content
Committee to Protect Journalists
  1. Youtube
  2. Rss
  3. Facebook
  4. Twitter
  5. Instagram
English
  1. Español
  2. Português
  3. Français
  4. Русский
  5. العربية
  6. Türkçe
  1. News
    • Alerts
    • Features & Analysis
    • Letters
    • Special Reports
    • Countries & Regions
      • Africa
        • Angola
        • Benin
        • Botswana
        • Burkina Faso
        • Burundi
        • Cameroon
        • Cape Verde
        • Central African Republic
        • Chad
        • Comoros
        • Democratic Republic of the Congo
        • Djibouti
        • Equatorial Guinea
        • Eritrea
        • Eswatini
        • Ethiopia
        • Gabon
        • Gambia
        • Ghana
        • Guinea
        • Guinea-Bissau
        • Ivory Coast
        • Kenya
        • Lesotho
        • Liberia
        • Madagascar
        • Malawi
        • Mali
        • Mauritius
        • Mozambique
        • Namibia
        • Niger
        • Nigeria
        • Republic of Congo
        • Rwanda
        • Senegal
        • Seychelles
        • Sierra Leone
        • Somalia
        • South Africa
        • South Sudan
        • Tanzania
        • Togo
        • Uganda
        • Zambia
        • Zimbabwe
        • All Africa
      • Americas
        • Antigua and Barbuda
        • Argentina
        • Bahamas
        • Barbados
        • Belize
        • Bolivia
        • Brazil
        • Canada
        • Chile
        • Colombia
        • Costa Rica
        • Cuba
        • Dominican Republic
        • Ecuador
        • El Salvador
        • Guatemala
        • Guyana
        • Haiti
        • Honduras
        • Jamaica
        • Mexico
        • Nicaragua
        • Panama
        • Paraguay
        • Peru
        • St. Vincent and the Grenadines
        • Suriname
        • Trinidad and Tobago
        • Uruguay
        • USA
        • Venezuela
        • All Americas
      • Asia
        • Afghanistan
        • Australia
        • Bangladesh
        • Brunei
        • Cambodia
        • China
        • East Timor
        • Fiji
        • French Polynesia
        • India
        • Indonesia
        • Japan
        • Laos
        • Malaysia
        • Maldives
        • Mongolia
        • Myanmar
        • Nauru
        • Nepal
        • New Zealand
        • North Korea
        • Pakistan
        • Papua New Guinea
        • Philippines
        • Singapore
        • Solomon Islands
        • South Korea
        • Sri Lanka
        • Taiwan
        • Thailand
        • Tonga
        • Vietnam
        • All Asia
      • Europe & Central Asia
        • Albania
        • Armenia
        • Austria
        • Azerbaijan
        • Belarus
        • Belgium
        • Bosnia and Herzegovina
        • Bulgaria
        • Chechnya
        • Croatia
        • Cyprus
        • Czech Republic
        • Denmark
        • Finland
        • France
        • Georgia
        • Germany
        • Greece
        • Hungary
        • Ireland
        • Italy
        • Kazakhstan
        • Kosovo
        • Kyrgyzstan
        • Latvia
        • Lithuania
        • Luxembourg
        • Macedonia
        • Malta
        • Moldova
        • Montenegro
        • Netherlands
        • North Macedonia
        • Norway
        • Poland
        • Portugal
        • Romania
        • Russia
        • Serbia
        • Slovakia
        • Slovenia
        • South Ossetia
        • Spain
        • Sweden
        • Switzerland
        • Tajikistan
        • Turkey
        • Turkmenistan
        • UK
        • Ukraine
        • Uzbekistan
        • Vatican City
        • Yugoslavia
        • All Europe & Central Asia
      • Middle East & North Africa
        • Algeria
        • Bahrain
        • Egypt
        • Iran
        • Iraq
        • Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory
        • Jordan
        • Kuwait
        • Lebanon
        • Libya
        • Mauritania
        • Morocco
        • Oman
        • Qatar
        • Saudi Arabia
        • Sudan
        • Syria
        • Tunisia
        • UAE
        • Yemen
        • All Middle East & North Africa
  2. Data
    • Journalists Killed
      • Killed in 2023
      • Killed since 1992
    • Journalists Imprisoned
    • Missing Journalists
    • All Attacks on the Press
    • Methodology
  3. Safety Resources
    • Journalist Safety and Emergencies
    • How to Get Help
    • All Safety Resources
  4. Get Involved
    • Support CPJ
    • Take Action
    • Press Freedom Awards
  5. About Us
    • What We Do
    • Who We Are
      • Our Staff
      • Our Board
    • Press Center
    • Contact Us
Donate Get Help
  1. Youtube
  2. Rss
  3. Facebook
  4. Twitter
  5. Instagram
English
  1. Español
  2. Português
  3. Français
  4. Русский
  5. العربية
  6. Türkçe
Donate Get Help
  • News
    • Alerts
    • Features & Analysis
    • Letters
    • Special Reports
    • Countries & Regions
      • Africa
        • Angola
        • Benin
        • Botswana
        • Burkina Faso
        • Burundi
        • Cameroon
        • Cape Verde
        • Central African Republic
        • Chad
        • Comoros
        • Democratic Republic of the Congo
        • Djibouti
        • Equatorial Guinea
        • Eritrea
        • Eswatini
        • Ethiopia
        • Gabon
        • Gambia
        • Ghana
        • Guinea
        • Guinea-Bissau
        • Ivory Coast
        • Kenya
        • Lesotho
        • Liberia
        • Madagascar
        • Malawi
        • Mali
        • Mauritius
        • Mozambique
        • Namibia
        • Niger
        • Nigeria
        • Republic of Congo
        • Rwanda
        • Senegal
        • Seychelles
        • Sierra Leone
        • Somalia
        • South Africa
        • South Sudan
        • Tanzania
        • Togo
        • Uganda
        • Zambia
        • Zimbabwe
        • All Africa
      • Americas
        • Antigua and Barbuda
        • Argentina
        • Bahamas
        • Barbados
        • Belize
        • Bolivia
        • Brazil
        • Canada
        • Chile
        • Colombia
        • Costa Rica
        • Cuba
        • Dominican Republic
        • Ecuador
        • El Salvador
        • Guatemala
        • Guyana
        • Haiti
        • Honduras
        • Jamaica
        • Mexico
        • Nicaragua
        • Panama
        • Paraguay
        • Peru
        • St. Vincent and the Grenadines
        • Suriname
        • Trinidad and Tobago
        • Uruguay
        • USA
        • Venezuela
        • All Americas
      • Asia
        • Afghanistan
        • Australia
        • Bangladesh
        • Brunei
        • Cambodia
        • China
        • East Timor
        • Fiji
        • French Polynesia
        • India
        • Indonesia
        • Japan
        • Laos
        • Malaysia
        • Maldives
        • Mongolia
        • Myanmar
        • Nauru
        • Nepal
        • New Zealand
        • North Korea
        • Pakistan
        • Papua New Guinea
        • Philippines
        • Singapore
        • Solomon Islands
        • South Korea
        • Sri Lanka
        • Taiwan
        • Thailand
        • Tonga
        • Vietnam
        • All Asia
      • Europe & Central Asia
        • Albania
        • Armenia
        • Austria
        • Azerbaijan
        • Belarus
        • Belgium
        • Bosnia and Herzegovina
        • Bulgaria
        • Chechnya
        • Croatia
        • Cyprus
        • Czech Republic
        • Denmark
        • Finland
        • France
        • Georgia
        • Germany
        • Greece
        • Hungary
        • Ireland
        • Italy
        • Kazakhstan
        • Kosovo
        • Kyrgyzstan
        • Latvia
        • Lithuania
        • Luxembourg
        • Macedonia
        • Malta
        • Moldova
        • Montenegro
        • Netherlands
        • North Macedonia
        • Norway
        • Poland
        • Portugal
        • Romania
        • Russia
        • Serbia
        • Slovakia
        • Slovenia
        • South Ossetia
        • Spain
        • Sweden
        • Switzerland
        • Tajikistan
        • Turkey
        • Turkmenistan
        • UK
        • Ukraine
        • Uzbekistan
        • Vatican City
        • Yugoslavia
        • All Europe & Central Asia
      • Middle East & North Africa
        • Algeria
        • Bahrain
        • Egypt
        • Iran
        • Iraq
        • Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory
        • Jordan
        • Kuwait
        • Lebanon
        • Libya
        • Mauritania
        • Morocco
        • Oman
        • Qatar
        • Saudi Arabia
        • Sudan
        • Syria
        • Tunisia
        • UAE
        • Yemen
        • All Middle East & North Africa
  • Data
    • Journalists Killed
      • Killed in 2023
      • Killed since 1992
    • Journalists Imprisoned
    • Missing Journalists
    • All Attacks on the Press
    • Methodology
  • Safety Resources
    • Journalist Safety and Emergencies
    • How to Get Help
    • All Safety Resources
  • Get Involved
    • Support CPJ
    • Take Action
    • Press Freedom Awards
  • About Us
    • What We Do
    • Who We Are
      • Our Staff
      • Our Board
    • Press Center
    • Contact Us
Letters

August 29, 2003 12:00 PM EDT

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • WhatsApp
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
  • Telegram

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • WhatsApp
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
  • Telegram

Your Excellency:

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is deeply concerned about the Algerian state printers’ refusal to print a number of private newspapers in recent weeks.

On August 14, state printers issued an ultimatum to six privately owned dailies—El-Khabar, Errai, Le Soir d’Algérie, Le Matin, L’Expression, and Liberté—stating that if they did not pay debts owed to the printer within 72 hours, they would not be published.

Three of the papers have paid their debts and have resumed printing. However, L’Expression, Le Soir D’Algérie, and Errai have been unable to pay, and printers have refused them service.

Journalists at the newspapers accuse Algerian officials of using the papers’ debts to pressure newspapers because of their editorial content. Some of the newspapers involved have told CPJ that authorities were angered over the publications’ recent reports implicating top government officials in financial malfeasance.

Editors who spoke with CPJ said that the state printer issued its ultimatum despite previous agreements that the papers could repay the debts in installments, and that the sums demanded were actually not due for several months. Several pointed out that other Algerian newspapers that owe the state printer money were not given ultimatums.

This is not the first time that Algerian printers have refused to print newspapers. Since private Algerian newspapers emerged in the early 1990s, editors have repeatedly complained about politically motivated pressures from state printers. While CPJ recognizes the right of printers to receive any debt owed, the Algerian government should ensure that the collection process is devoid of political pressures. Moreover, authorities should take steps to adopt clear and transparent guidelines for debt repayments.

As a nonpartisan organization of journalists that works to guarantee press freedom worldwide, we ask your Excellency to do everything within your power to see to it that the papers, in agreement with the printers, are able to resume publishing as quickly as possible.

Sincerely,

Ann K. Cooper
Executive Director

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • WhatsApp
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
  • Telegram
More On:
Algeria
Letters
Middle East & North Africa
More On:
@userpic
  • Print
  • Text Size
  • Copy Short Link Copied
Subscribe to CPJ Newsletters:
Become a Supporter Donate
  • News
    • Alerts
    • Features & Analysis
    • Letters
    • Special Reports
  • Data
    • Journalists Killed
    • Journalists Imprisoned
    • Missing Journalists
    • All Attacks on the Press
    • Methodology
  • Get Help
    • Emergencies
    • Staying Safe
  • Get Involved
    • Support CPJ
    • Take Action
    • Press Freedom Awards
  • About Us
    • What We Do
    • Who We Are
    • Employment Opportunities
    • Press Center
    • Contact Us
  • Countries & Regions
    • Americas
    • Europe & Central Asia
    • Middle East & North Africa
    • Africa
    • Asia

Contact Us

CPJ is a 501(c)3 non-profit.

Our EIN is 13-3081500.

Committee to Protect Journalists

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Press Freedom Center

P.O. Box 2675

New York, NY 10108

Tel 212-465-1004

Fax 212-214-0640

[email protected]

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License

Except where noted, text on this website is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Images and other media are not covered by the Creative Commons license. For more information about permissions, see our FAQs.