By RFIPalled on 23-11-2019Modified on 23-11-2019 at 11:31

In Algeria, pressure on journalists worries Reporters Without Borders (RSF). This week, four journalists from the newspaper "Le Temps d'Algérie" were suspended from this francophone media close to power.

One of the four journalists suspended from the daily Le Temps d'Algérie criticized the front page of the newspaper , which focused on the "unanimity" of Algerians on the importance of the December 12 election.

For Souhaieb Khayati, head of the North Africa office of the RSF association, the Algerian authorities have always been virulent towards journalists. But the approach of the elections accentuates the tensions.

"It's their day, suspensions and arrests are part of daily journalism in Algeria. Mistrust of journalists is the rule. Even more to correspondents of foreign media and foreign journalists. All this is not exceptional. It is the practices, this very aggressive attitude toward journalists and the media that characterize the Algerian authorities. With Hirak , it is true that this aggressiveness has turned into a desire to muzzle any media and independent journalist. But of course, in the run-up to the December 12 elections , there is no accession of Algerian citizens. Journalists can not inform about this disavowal. So, there will definitely be a hardening in the next two weeks. That's clear . "

Debate program also suspended

Reporters Without Borders has already denounced, in early November, the suspension by the Algerian national radio of the weekly program of political debate " Actuel ". The NGO called this measure " abusive " depriving Algerians of " their right to plural information ". Two information websites, TSA (All About Algeria) and Interlignes , have also been inaccessible in Algeria for several months. In 2019, the NGO RSF ranked Algeria 141st in the world press freedom index.

►Also read: In Algeria, a petition to support the journalists of the national radio

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