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