Algeria / Middle East & North Africa

  

CPJ submits reports on Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco to United Nations Universal Periodic Review

The human rights records of Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco are under review by the United Nations Human Rights Council through the Universal Periodic Review (UPR). This U.N. mechanism is a peer-review process that surveys the human rights performance of member states, monitoring progress from previous review cycles, and presents a list of recommendations on how a…

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Algerian journalist Nadir Kerri briefly detained and placed under judiciary control

On October 11, 2022 Algerian authorities arrested journalist Nadir Kerri, editor-in-chief of local independent news website Autojazair, specializing in automotive news in Algiers, after he responded to a summons for questioning, according to news reports, and a local journalist and press freedom advocate familiar with the case, Zaki Hannache, who spoke to CPJ via messaging app.  On October 12,…

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Algerian journalist Belkacem Haouam arrested, held in pretrial detention

New York, September 9, 2022—Algerian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release journalist Belkacem Haouam and cease detaining journalists for their work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. On Thursday, September 8, authorities in Algiers, the capital, arrested Haouam, a reporter for the local independent daily newspaper Echorouk, after he responded to a summons for…

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Algerian journalist Merzoug Touati sentenced to 1 year in prison

New York, January 4, 2022 – Algerian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release journalist Merzoug Touati and drop all charges against him, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On December 28, 2021, police arrested Touati, editor of the independent news website Al-Hogra, after he appeared at a police station in the northern city of…

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Algerian journalist Mohamed Mouloudj detained on charges of terrorism and spreading false news

New York, September 15, 2021 – Algerian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release reporter Mohamed Mouloudj and ensure that members of the press can work in the country without fear of imprisonment, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On September 12, police officers in the northern city of Tizi Ouzou arrested Mouloudj, a reporter…

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Algeria shuts down Lina TV for alleged licensing issue

New York, August 18, 2021 – Algerian authorities should allow Lina TV to resume broadcasting immediately and stop using the country’s accreditation procedures as a means of censorship, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On August 16, the Ministry of Communications ordered the privately owned news channel off the air, according to news reports…

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Algerian journalist Rabah Karèche sentenced to 1 year in prison on false news and anti-state charges

New York, August 12, 2021 – In response to today’s sentencing of journalist Rabah Karèche to one year in prison, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement: “Algerian journalist Rabah Karèche’s only crime was doing his job as a reporter; authorities should not force him to spend even one day in prison for…

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Algeria revokes accreditation of Saudi channel Al-Arabiya over allegedly spreading misinformation

New York, August 2, 2021 – Algerian authorities should immediately reverse their decision to revoke the accreditation of Saudi news channel Al-Arabiya and ensure that the channel can operate freely in the country, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On July 31, Algeria’s communications ministry withdrew Al-Arabiya’s press accreditation for allegedly spreading misinformation while…

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Algerian journalist Mustapha Bendjama given 2-month suspended prison sentence

On June 27, 2021, an appeals court in Annaba, in northeast Algeria, issued Mustapha Bedjama, editor-in-chief of the local independent news website Le Provincial, a two-month suspended prison sentence and a fine of 20,000 dinars (US $150), according to news reports and Bendjama, who spoke to CPJ via messaging app. The case stemmed from “harming…

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Algerian authorities revoke accreditation of France 24

New York, June 15, 2021 – In response to Algerian authorities’ recent decision to revoke the accreditation of French public broadcaster France 24, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement: “Instead of responding to Algerian citizens’ demands, authorities are instead resorting to petty retaliation against the messengers,” said CPJ Senior Middle East and…

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