Algeria: “Applying Penal Code Against Anyone Who Insults Journalists”

The draft organic law related to media creates the authority to control the written press and the electronic press, which will ensure that the activities of the written press are regulated. Corrupt money will also be excluded from media projects and any attempts to insult journalists verbally or by reference will be cordoned off by subjecting them to the Penal Code.

A draft law related to the written press and the electronic press determined how to practice the activity of the press, and subjected it to the rules for organizing, controlling and censoring it, within the framework of embodying the directives of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune emanating from the Council of Ministers convened on April 24.

The new draft law proposes subjecting periodicals and electronic newspapers established to the authorization system, and this is a dedication to the provisions of Article 54 of the 2020 Constitution instead of accreditation. Mainly by guaranteeing media pluralism and preventing the financial, political, or ideological influence of the same owner, and ensuring citizen access to information across the entire national territory and the quality of media messages.

In the event of a violation of the provisions of this text, the authority in charge of control the written and electronic press can notify the competent judicial authorities with a view to the temporary or final suspension of the activity of periodicals and electronic newspapers, while giving them the possibility of automatically intervening to warn the violators.

The project, devoted to the principle of pluralism of opinions and thought, pays great attention to preventing the centralization of periodicals and electronic newspapers, by limiting the number of publications and electronic newspapers that are allowed to be owned or controlled by every natural person of Algerian nationality or legal entity subject to Algerian law with one publication or electronic newspaper.

This is by determining the number of publications and electronic newspapers that are permitted to be owned or monitored by every natural person of Algerian nationality or legal entity subject to Algerian law with one publication or electronic press.

A draft law related to the written press and the electronic press stipulates controls and penalties that define the tasks of practicing journalism. Each media outlet that refuses to publish or broadcast the response or correction within the specified deadlines shall be punished with a fine from one million dinars to 500,000 dinars.

Anyone who insults a journalist during the exercise of his profession or on the occasion of that shall also be punished according to the provisions of the Penal Code. The legal person shall be considered responsible for the acts stipulated in this chapter in accordance with the provisions stipulated in the legislation.

According to the new text, the public lawsuit and the civil lawsuit related to misdemeanors committed through the written, electronic and audio-visual press shall lapse after 6 full months starting from the date of broadcasting, and the law punishes every journalist working for another institution subject to the law of that country, in the event that he does not obtain accreditation.

On the other hand, the draft organic law for media, which “Echorouk” reviewed, stipulates the establishment of an authority to control the written and electronic press, which is a public authority that enjoys moral personality and financial and administrative independence. The law punishes every journalist who works for another institution subject to the law of that country if he does not obtain accreditation.

On the other hand, the draft organic law for media, which “Echorouk” reviewed, also provides for the creation of an authority to control the written and electronic press, which is a public authority that enjoys moral personality and financial and administrative independence, and is responsible for controlling the activities of the written press.

In order to exclude those with corrupt money from investing in the media sector, the media has been compelled to declare the possession of national capital, and to prove the source of the invested funds and the funds necessary for their operation.

With regard to regulating the profession of the journalist, the project pointed to the need to develop a basic law that maps out the conditions for practicing the profession and the rights and duties associated with it, with reference to the regulation to define the categories of journalists and press assistants, and professions related to journalistic activity.