Algeria Using Criminal Code to Prosecute Journalists

...And the International Federation of Journalists is on the case:

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today condemned a wave of recent attacks on journalists in Algeria... The IFJ and its Algerian affiliate, the Syndicat National des Journalistes (SNJ) have been urging authorities to decriminalise press offences, ensure fair trials for media and a withdrawal of prison sentences against journalists.

On Monday Dhif Talal, correspondent for the Arabic-language newspaper Al Fadjr in Djelfa, was sentenced under the penal code to 6 months in jail after he was convicted on defamation charges brought against him by the Ministry of Agriculture. The charges stemmed from an article Talal wrote exposing huge losses of public funds due to poor administration in the local Department of Agriculture...

In the same region, Ouahid Oussama, correspondent at daily Arabic-language newspaper Al Bilad, has been summoned to appear before the court on 19 November to face defamation charges. The Director of the Department of Education of Djelfa brought the charges after the journalist made a report criticizing the failures of the education system in Djelfa.

Another journalist in Djelfa, El-Youm correspondent Hafnaoui Ghoul, has been harassed by the local authorities for his critical reporting of local authorities’ practices.