“Saifi threatened to kill me,†says Algeria female journalist
الشروق أونلاين
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Journalist Asma Halimi said Algeria’s striker Rafik Saifi slapped her while she was doing her job in Pretoria’s stadium. “He threatened to kill me,†she told Echorouk in an interview.
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Would you mind telling us about the whole story?
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I was with player Ziani’s uncle and a French journalist waiting for the players. I saw Saifi coming to us. I tried to avoid him and I stepped back but he slapped me. I tried to respond and I think I hit his mouth.
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And what happened after that?
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He came back once again and threw a water bottle on me. He told me: “I will kill you…It’s me who will kill you.” Then, a number of foreign journalists came and asked me to calm down.
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Was any member of the Algerian football Federation (FAF) or any player present there?
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No one was present.
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How did you respond?
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I went to the FIFA’s representatives and I lodged an official complaint.
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How was their reaction?
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They told me a special commission would meet to consider the issue.
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What did Algerian journalists do?
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They were not present there but they called me later on. They showed solidarity with me. Communication minister called me and denounced what happened to me.
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What about the foreign journalists?
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A number of foreign journalists were present. They told me they were ready to testify and gave me their phone numbers and e-mails.
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Did any member of the FAF call you?
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No. I think they kept silence because they are a party to that.
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Do you think that Saifi’s behaviour was due to an old problem between you and him following a match between Algeria and Uruguay?
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Absolutely. He slapped me in Algeria 5 Juillet stadium and I did not respond. However, he threatened to kill me in Angola. The FAF’s president Mohamed Raouraoua intervened and asked him to stop that.
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Do you believe that the problem is over after you contacted the FIFA?
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No never. I will lodge an official complaint when I come back to Algeria.
