ALGERIA: INTERNATIONAL CALLS FOR INVESTIGATION INTO VIOLENCE AGAINST JOURNALISTS

Fri 19 March 2021:

Reporters Without Borders on Wednesday called on the Algerian authorities to open an investigation into violence targeting journalists covering demonstrations in Algiers.

The non-governmental organisation announced in a statement: “Five days have passed since journalists were attacked while covering the Friday demonstration organised weekly by the anti-regime movement.”

The statement added that Reporters Without Borders calls for an investigation into the assault on dozens of journalists during this demonstration.

During the Friday protest of the popular movement on 12 March, a group of demonstrators attacked journalists.

The organisation confirmed that France 24 reporter Abdelkader Kamli was targeted while covering the event, by demonstrators who accused him of being biased against the movement.

Reporters Without Borders added that other journalists at the scene were also assaulted when they tried to protect Kamli, adding: “None of the journalists was seriously injured.”

This is not the first time that the demonstrators have shown hostility to reporters whom they accuse of being biased in favour of the regime. Journalists working for French media are sometimes criticised for representing a country that allegedly supports President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.

One day after the demonstration, Communication Minister Ammar Belhimer threatened the France24 TV channel with permanently withdrawing its accreditation because of its “clear bias” in covering the popular movement demonstrations.

Thousands of Hirak supporters have been demonstrating every week since celebrating the second anniversary of the movement on 22 February, after a year of interruption due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

Algeria ranks 146th, out of 180, in the World Press Freedom Index for 2020 compiled by Reporters Without Borders, recording a setback of 27 ranks compared with 2015.