The Minister of Communication receives the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association – Algerian Dialogue

Minister of Communication Mohamed Laqab received this evening the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association, Clément Nyaltsoussi Fall, as part of his continuation of his working visit to Algeria.

During this meeting, an image of the strategy in place for the benefit of the media sector was presented within the framework of introducing the articles of the new media law and the guarantees it provides in order to protect it and enhance its rights.

The Minister of Communication also confirmed that the Algerian laws related to the press do not stipulate a penalty depriving of freedom, and that the material penalties are minor and are not related at all to freedom of expression, but rather to management methods, noting that the new media law requires media institutions to provide continuous training for journalists and to provide life insurance while they perform their duties in crisis areas.

The Minister of Communications also said that the laws are currently adapted to fight corruption in its various forms, which is one of the 54 commitments made by the President of the Republic, Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune.

Regarding the issue of censorship in media work, the Minister of Communications explained that it does not exist in Algeria, except for subsequent censorship when it comes to spreading hate speech and discrimination, or insulting state symbols, or cursing, defamation, or defamation…all of which are acts criminalized by Algerian law.

By the way, the Minister of Communications confirmed that a qualitative training program is currently being prepared for journalists to empower them with the legal texts that frame media work to avoid falling into mistakes and previous professional practices that may expose them to legal accountability.

For his part, the UN rapporteur went on to ask questions and inquiries related to everything that guarantees the rights and freedoms of journalists. The minister went on to answer all the questions raised, especially those related to the criminalization of journalists, the issue of prisoners of conscience, and the possibility of accessing information and verifying its official sources.