• Population: 31,266,000
  • Internet users: 700,000 (2003)
  • Average charge for 20 hours of connection: 14 euros
  • DAI*: 0.37
  • Situation**: middling

In the run-up to the April 2004 presidential election, the government exerted growing pressure on the media. But the Internet enjoys almost total freedom and is an effective way of getting round government censorship. Legislation potentially dangerous for the online media has been passed but not so far applied.

The main problem for Algerian Internet users is slow connection. As one journalist quipped: "www stands for wait, wait, wait." The state-run Algerie Telecom announced a deal in January 2004 with the South Korean firm Daewoo to introduce high-speed connections.

Some journalists report lengthy delays of up to two days in receiving some e-mail messages and suspect they are being spied on.

Legal weapon criticised

Article 14 of a 1998 telecommunications decree says ISPs must take responsibility for posted content and sites they host and requires them to take "all necessary steps to ensure constant surveillance" of content to prevent access to "material contrary to public order and morality." But no case of censorship has been reported since the decree was issued.

A parliamentary amendment to the criminal code in May 2001 sparked protests from journalists. The new article 144 (b) provides for between two months and a year in prison and fines of between 750 and 3,750 euros for "insulting or defaming" the president in writing, drawings or speech, through radio and TV broadcasts or electronic or computer means.

Offenders can be directly prosecuted by the government without a prior complaint being filed. For repeat offenders, the punishment are doubled. These sanctions also apply to such attacks on parliament, the armed forces and any other public body. The measure has not so far hampered the growth of the Internet.

A journalist arrested

Ahmed Fattani, editor of the daily paper Expression, was arrested on 13 October 2003 and accused of posting articles online while the paper was officially suspended between 13 and 16 September 2003. He said his arrest and charging was part of harassment of the press coinciding with the presidential election. It was also part of a tussle between the independent media and the government after the revelation of top-level corruption.

Links

* The DAI (Digital Access Index) has been devised by the International Telecommunications Union to measure the access of a country's inhabitants to information and communication technology. It ranges from 0 (none at all) to 1 (complete access).

** Assessment of the situation in each country (good, middling, difficult, serious) is based on murders, imprisonment or harassment of cyber-dissidents or journalists, censorship of news sites, existence of independent news sites, existence of independent ISPs and deliberately high connection charges.

Disclaimer:

This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.