US embassy cable - 05ALGIERS1050

C O N F I D E N T I A L ALGIERS 001050 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/25/2015 
TAGS: PREL, KPAO, AG, Press Freedom 
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR PRESSES BELKHEIR ON DEFAMATION 
CONVICTIONS 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Richard W. Erdman; reasons 1.4 (B)(D) 
 
1. (C) During May 24 meeting with Presidential Chief of Staff 
Belkheir on other issues, Ambassador took the occasion to 
underscore our serious concerns about the mounting number of 
Algerian journalists who are either in jail or condemned to 
prison terms on charges of defamation.  (At the time of the 
conversation there were six journalists in this category, and 
the May 25 press reported one additional prison sentence, one 
acquittal, and one fine on charges of defamation.) 
Ambassador said one journalist in prison was one too many, 
but six journalists in prison was outrageous and 
unacceptable.  Algeria needed to understand that its actions 
in this area were seriously tarnishing Algeria's reputation 
abroad.  Algeria was alienating journalistic elites who 
shaped public perceptions about Algeria around the world. 
Algeria needed to consider the costs and negative impact of 
its self-defeating actions against the press and move as 
quickly as possible to adopt legislation decriminalizing 
defamation. 
 
2. (C) As frustrating as the press could be at times, 
Ambassador commented, and we ourselves had recently been the 
target of a scurrilous letter to the press insulting U.S. 
officials and containing all sorts of outright lies, a free 
press was nonetheless an indispensable ingredient for 
democracy.  Belkheir, clearly agreeing that these defamation 
convictions were bad for Algeria, urged the Ambassador to 
raise this issue with Foreign Minister Bedjaoui.  As in 
previous conversations on press freedom issues, Belkheir 
recalled that even though he has been frequently insulted in 
the press, he has never resorted to launching a defamation 
suit.  Instead, he has preferred to remain silent or to write 
a respectful letter to the press defending himself. 
 
3. (C) Action request:  Ambassador requests he be instructed 
to deliver a very forceful demarche to FM Bedjaoui on the 
mounting number of defamation cases. 
ERDMAN