Algeria Law Controlling Media Close to Passing

A new media bill in Algeria that would place curbs on media ownership rules and force journalists to give up their sources has raised alarms among rights groups. On March 28, the lower house of Parliament overwhelmingly approved the proposed law, while a vote in the upper house is expected today (13 April 2023). According to media outlet Jeune Afrique, a new “independent” regulatory authority will be created to oversee the media, both print and electronic. The authority will be made up of 12 people, of whom six will be selected by the president, Jeune Afrique reported.

Moreover, the proposed bill also bans any media outlet in Algeria from receiving direct or indirect “material aid” from foreign sources. Any violation of the law could lead to a fine of one to two million dinars (US$7,400-US$14,739), according to the report. The bill also bars dual nationals from investing in all or part of a media organisation, while any journalist working in the country for a foreign publication or outlet without proper accreditation will be fined between 500,000 to one million dinars (US$3,700-US$7,400). Journalists are also warned to not indulge in “apologism for racism, terrorism, intolerance and violence”, or participate in anything that brings into disrepute “the symbols of the war of national liberation”. According to RSF’s 2022 World Press Freedom Index, the North African country ranked 134 out of 180 countries and territories.