Communication Ministry's Lawyer, Nadjib Bitam: “TV Channels That Are Operating Illegally Will Face Justice”

Communication Ministry plans to take legal action against the Algerian TV channels that are working without respecting the laws during September after it finished sending legal summons to 54 TV channels that are operating illegally during the current month of August.

In this context, the Communication Ministry’s lawyer, Nadjib Bitam, told Echorouk that the ministry will take the necessary legal action against the TV channels that did not respond to the annotation that was submitted to them by the Ministry of Communication, and did not adapt to the text of the law at the beginning of September.

“Lawsuit file is waiting for a signal of the Ministry of communication to be put to justice, after sending annotations through judicial minutes during the months of July and August to about 54 channels that are operating without a license”.

“Law is clear in such cases and does not force the Ministry of Communication to send annotations or grant a deadline for the TV channels that are working illegally. It was able to apply the administrative closure procedure immediately, but the ministry preferred to grant them a deadline to settle their situation so as not to challenge the legitimacy of its decisions under the cover of imposing restrictions on freedom”.

Previously, the Ministry of Communication announced in a statement on the end of June, on launching clearing the audiovisual sector of the TV channels that are working illegally, according to the instructions that are made by the Prime Minister, Abdelmalek Sellal, in this regard, asserting on the need to respect the book of conditions that was set forth in the Audiovisual sector, and sending official correspondences to all TV channels that are operating in Algeria to adapt to the law as soon as possible.