Algeria: RSF worries about press freedom

(illustration) Abdelaziz Bouteflika's candidacy on the front page of newspapers, February 11, 2019. RYAD KRAMDI / AFP

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As Sunday's constitutional referendum approaches, Reporters Without Borders calls on the Algerian authorities "to take the necessary measures so that the new Algeria, desired by President Tebboune, is accompanied by real progress in terms of freedom of the press ”.

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The NGO deplores a steady decline in the free exercise of journalism for years and, according to it, the situation has not improved since the coming to power of Abdelmadjid Tebboune.

For Souhaieb Khayati, director of the North Africa office of Reporters Without Borders, joined by

Sébastien Duhamel

of the RFI Africa service, the most symptomatic case is that of Khaled Drareni, correspondent for TV5 Monde and RSF, sentenced on appeal, on September 15. , to two years in prison for " 

inciting unarmed assembly and undermining national unity

 ".

See also

: The continued detention of Algerian journalist Khaled Drareni provokes outrage

“ 

This is the case that most marked this first year of President Tebboune's mandate.

It is nevertheless the trial of our colleague Khaled Drareni and the judicial harassment of which Khaled was the victim.

The sentences that have been issued by the executive, whether President Tebboune himself or the Minister of Communication, on several occasions, underline to what extent the exercise of the free and independent journalist that Khaled symbolized, can annoy the diet.

It was the journalist's trial, with unrivaled fierceness, never seen in Algeria, against a journalist!

On the other hand, what the regime aimed at, that is to say to dissuade the young journalists - Algerians and Algerians -, who carry this vocation within them, did not succeed, in the sense that, in view of the mobilization of journalists in Algeria on the Khaled case, shows how much the regime got into the wrong battle

 ”.

As a reminder, Algeria is in 146th place out of 180 in the world ranking of press freedom 2020. It has lost five places compared to 2019 and 27 compared to 2015.

Full and complete solidarity with our colleagues from @ TV5MONDE to demand the release of #Khaled Drareni, 7 months after his imprisonment.

This banner was rolled out in the presence of @francoisejoly from @ TV5MONDEINFO and Dominique Pradalie from @SNJ_national.

#FreeKhaled pic.twitter.com/tpQu4lIEl5

  Christophe Deloire (@cdeloire) October 30, 2020

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