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IFJ REVIVES JOURNALIST SUPPORT CENTRE

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has relaunched its Solidarity Centre in Algeria as part of a new campaign to improve the rights of Algerian journalists and monitor attacks on press freedom.

The Centre was established in 1996 but has been inactive for the past two years. Working with its affiliate, Syndicat National des Journalistes, IFJ will kickstart the campaign by coordinating a national survey to assess the current status of journalists in Algeria and launching a new trade union development programme.

Future plans for the Centre include monitoring attacks on journalists and campaigning to release jailed individuals, and lobbying the government to repeal Penal Code provisions that criminalise expression. The Centre will also organise a national event in 2005 to promote public service broadcasting.

The re-launching of the Centre comes amidst growing concerns that the country's independent journalists are under attack. Earlier this year, two journalists were sentenced to jail for criticising the government in what the World Association of Newspapers (WAN) said showed a "worrying decline in tolerance to criticism" by the newly elected government of President Bouteflika (see: http://www.ifj.org/default.asp?Index=2561&Language=EN).

Visit:

- IFJ: http://www.ifj.org/default.asp?Index=2794&Language=EN
- IFEX Alerts on Algeria: http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/1445/
- Report on Algeria: http://www.cpj.org/attacks03/mideast03/algeria.html