Press freedom is still severely restrained in Egypt and in many Middle Eastern countries in general, but the blog generation may seriously affect the State-censored press landscape.
Three cartoonists, Dilem (Ali Dilem) of Algeria’s daily newspaper Liberty, Cabu (Jean Cabu) of France’s Charlie Hebdo and Le Canard Enchainé (both political satire weeklies) and Iran’s Nikahang Kowsar have answered questions about their own perspectives on the Mohammed cartoons and freedom of expression.
Each cartoonist has a different perspective. Dilem asserts that people should be "allowed to make cartoons of everything", while simultaneously stating that he understands how a cartoon depicting Mohammed wearing a turban shaped like a bomb has shocked some people. Kowsar criticizes the publication of the cartoons, stating: "I am critical of what they did: when you do something that you know will create hatred and annoy people who are a minority in Europe, this can be very insensitive." Finally, Cabu defends the publication of the cartoons, asserting that Nikahansuch actions are protected by freedom of expression and freedom of the press.
Sad news from Algeria: one of the most courageous newspaper is obliged to disappear. Le Matin, the daily newspaper in French, will no longer appear. According to Le Quotidien d'Oran (in French) shareholders decided to dissolve SARL Le Matin and put it into liquidation. The decision was made at the general assembly on August 10 in the absence of manager and editor Mohamed Benchicou. Benchicou is still in jail for a violation concerning control of capital exchanges within the paper and for publishing a pamphlet attacking the president (see former posting).
The move came after one year of non-appearance and is probably due to the paper's huge debts. "The debts are huge. There are close to 8bn centimes (1.1m US dollars) in debts for printing in the central part of the country and close to 6bn (844,600 US dollars) in tax debts due to the bankruptcy to which Le Matin was subjected. In all that remain the debts due to the printing companies of the east and west as well as those that Le Matin owes to Algerie Presse Service (APS), the amount of which is not yet known," reports Le Quotidien d'Oran (in French). A little sign of hope is, however, that some of Le Matin's seven associates have decided to found a new newspaper.
Source: Le Quotidien d'Oran (in French)
Sad news from Algeria: one of the most courageous newspaper is obliged to disappear. Le Matin, the daily newspaper in French, will no longer appear. According to Le Quotidien d'Oran (in French) shareholders decided to dissolve SARL Le Matin and put it into liquidation. The decision was made at the general assembly on August 10 in the absence of manager and editor Mohamed Benchicou. Benchicou is still in jail for a violation concerning control of capital exchanges within the paper and for publishing a pamphlet attacking the president (see former posting).
The move came after one year of non-appearance and is probably due to the paper's huge debts. "The debts are huge. There are close to 8bn centimes (1.1m US dollars) in debts for printing in the central part of the country and close to 6bn (844,600 US dollars) in tax debts due to the bankruptcy to which Le Matin was subjected. In all that remain the debts due to the printing companies of the east and west as well as those that Le Matin owes to Algerie Presse Service (APS), the amount of which is not yet known," reports Le Quotidien d'Oran (in French). A little sign of hope is, however, that some of Le Matin's seven associates have decided to found a new newspaper.
Source: Le Quotidien d'Oran (in French)
According to Agence France Presse, a tribunal in Algeria rejected a request for the early release of the editor of the daily Le Matin, Mohamed Benchicou. Benchicou was sentenced in July 2004 to two years in prison after the minister of finances complained of a violation concerning control of capital exchanges within the paper. Furthermore, Benchicou was also condemned this week to five prison months in addition to his impending sentence for publishing a pamphlet in February 2004 attacking the president (see former posting). An edition of Le Matin has not been printed since July 2004.
Source: Agence France Presse
Le Monde relates that Algerian editor Mohamed Benchicou will remain imprisoned. The editor of Le Matin has been imprisoned in June 2004, his newspaper has folded in July 2004. Benchicou was charged with defamation, as a consequence of the publication of an article in Le Matin, which covered testimonies of young Algerians who had been tortured by the special forces of the police, with links to the Ministry of Defense. The editor also published a pamphlet entitled "Boutefilka- an Algerian fraud" (Bouteflika, une imposture algérienne), which attacks the Algerian President. He remains imprisoned for defamation.
Source: Le Monde
Maybe the first good news in Algeria since the Bouteflika re-election... According to Reuters, "The Algerian Government has held rare talks with dozens of independent newspaper editors to try to end a long-running feud, only a day after another editor was jailed for slandering an official. Relations between President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and the north African country's leading national dailies hit new lows this month after the imprisonment of several journalists... Until now the Government has refused any discussions with the media but diplomats said Sunday's discussions suggest it may be feeling pressure from critics abroad as Algeria re-enters the international community after years of isolation."
Source: Reuters via ABC. See also our former posting.
