JournalismPakistan.com | Published 5 years ago
Join our WhatsApp channel
An Algerian court on Sunday sentenced to eight months in jail a journalist who had provided images of months-long anti-government protests to foreign media, a prisoners' support group, and a non-government organization said.
Sofiane Merakchi, a correspondent for Lebanese TV channel Al-Mayadeen, was accused of "concealment of equipment and providing images to foreign media without authorization," the Article 19 NGO said.
He was also accused of providing images of weekly Friday protests to Al-Jazeera and other foreign media organizations, the group added.
Merakchi was arrested in September 2019, and initially, the state prosecutor had demanded he be sentenced to two years in jail.
But a court in Algiers handed him an eight-month sentence, and the CNLD prisoners' support group said Merakchi was now expected to be freed on May 26.
According to the CNLD he was the first Algerian journalist arrested after the protest movement first erupted in February against ailing President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's bid for a fifth term in office.
In April last year, Bouteflika, debilitated by a 2013 stroke, resigned in the face of massive street protests and after losing the support of powerful army chief Ahmed Gaid Salah.
Merakchi's case received little media attention for months following his arrest, but there was more coverage after Algerian authorities detained more journalists, some of whom remain behind bars.
Among them is Khaled Drareni, correspondent of French channel TV5 Monde and media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF), who has been in pre-trial detention since March on a charge of inciting an unarmed gathering and endangering national unity.
Earlier this week, RSF, in a statement co-signed with Algerian non-government organizations, called for the release of Drareni, Merakchi, and fellow journalist Belkacem Djir.
The watchdog accused Algeria's government of taking advantage of the coronavirus pandemic to "settle scores" with independent journalists.
The reasons for Djir's imprisonment are unknown. In early March, Justice Minister Belkacem Zeghmati said Djir and Merakchi were both being prosecuted for "common law acts," without giving details.—AFP
November 05, 2025: PTI’s Faisal Chaudhry’s witty reply to Gharidah Farooqi on GTV’s “G for Gharidah” goes viral as a clip from their debate over the 27th Amendment sparks reactions online.
November 05, 2025: Digital platform Nukta lays off 37 employees in Pakistan, including journalists and producers, highlighting the financial struggles facing new media ventures in a shrinking job market.
November 04, 2025: Talat Hussain denies airing the viral clip showing Sher Afzal Marwat’s vulgar remark, saying it was not part of his Samaa TV show.
November 03, 2025: PFUJ recalls November 3, 2007, as Pakistan’s darkest day under Musharraf, urging protection for journalists and the abolition of laws threatening press freedom.
November 02, 2025: PFUJ urges Pakistan’s federal and provincial governments to end Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists and ensure their safety and press freedom.
November 02, 2025: Impunity for crimes against journalists deepens worldwide as Pakistan reports a 60 percent surge in attacks and weak enforcement of safety laws.
November 01, 2025: Pakistan Press Foundation reports 137 attacks on journalists in 2025, highlighting rising threats, legal harassment, and censorship on the International Day to End Impunity.
November 01, 2025: A viral Samaa TV clip featuring MNA Sher Afzal Marwat’s crude remarks and Talat Hussain’s laughter raises questions about the declining ethics of Pakistani television.
November 05, 2025 The Pulitzer Center is offering global reporting grants for journalists worldwide, funding high-impact projects on underreported issues with rolling applications in 2025.
November 04, 2025 Journalist Rana Ayyub receives death threats over calls demanding a column on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots as CPJ urges swift action to protect journalists in India.
November 04, 2025 TV8 journalist Mariana Rata in Moldova receives a death threat after interviewing politician Renato Usatii on-air, raising concerns about journalist safety.
November 03, 2025 Global journalist unions condemn the Indonesian agriculture minister’s lawsuit against Tempo, calling it a threat to press freedom and demanding that the case be withdrawn.
November 02, 2025 Independent outlet All About Macau to halt print and online operations amid rising pressure, financial strain, and legal threats, sparking press freedom concerns in the city.