Tayeb Belaiz: “The decriminilisation of press offences is designed to enshrine freedom of expression in Algeria”

Justice Minister, Tayeb Belaiz, has affirmed that press freedom is one of the cornerstones of Algeria's constitution stressing that such a fundamental right should be promoted and enhanced in the framework of clear-cut and rigourous guidelines.

• Mr Tayeb Belaiz declared on Thursday during a parliamentary session in Algiers that the Algerian authorities’ recent salutary decision to scrap the decriminilisation of press offences barring prison sentences for faulty journalists, was a major asset for all those acting within the national press corporation and for all the Algerian society as well.
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• The justice Minister however underlined that a free-wheeling press should abide by a strict code of ethics and avoid harming the dignity or honour of any citizen in its daily articles or coverage of national or international events.
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• Mr Tayeb Belaiz also made it clear that Algeria’s sacred symbols and values should be safeguarded from any kind of drifts or excoriations from all the parties concerned adding that  tresspassers, if any, would duly face justice in case of malpractice or wrongdoing.
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