Tunis (AFP)
Amnesty International on Thursday called on the Algerian authorities to end "immediately" their "systematic judicial harassment" of journalists in the country, in reaction to recent prison sentences handed down to them.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) also called on the Algerian authorities on Wednesday to end all "repression of press freedom" and "to return to respect for the law, the Constitution and the country's international commitments".
"Journalists were recently jailed for sharing videos, criticizing the president and expressing support for the protest movements," Amna Guellali, Amnesty International Middle East and North Africa official, said in a statement , according to whom "the Algerian authorities are ready to do anything to silence the critics".
Denouncing "heavy sentences" and "a context of growing repression", the international NGO asks them to "stop the systematic judicial harassment of journalists and to respect the right to information by lifting the blocking of news sites".
"Instead of intimidating journalists, the Algerian authorities must ensure that all journalists in the country can exercise their profession without being intimidated, harassed or threatened with arrest," said Ms. Guellali.
Journalist Khaled Drareni, director of the online news site Casbah Tribune and correspondent in Algeria for the French television channel Tv5 Monde and RSF, was sentenced on August 10 to three years in prison for "inciting an uninvited crowd. armed "and" attack on national unity ".
He was being prosecuted for his March 7 coverage in Algiers of an anti-regime demonstration, and his appeal trial is scheduled for September 8.
On Monday, Abdelkrim Zeghileche, director of an independent online radio station, was also sentenced to two years in prison for "undermining national unity" as well as for "insulting the head of state".
These sentences have shocked the profession, in Algeria and beyond.
In total, Amnesty mentions in its press release the incarceration of "at least eight journalists" since the beginning of "Hirak", the regime's protest movement, in February 2019.
In addition, several news sites are repeatedly blocked on Algerian territory. Currently, "two independent news sites are inaccessible", according to RSF.
Algeria is in 146th place (out of 180) in the 2020 world press freedom ranking established by Reporters Without Borders. It has plummeted 27 places compared to 2015.
© 2020 AFP