Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07ALGIERS465
2007-04-04 17:38:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Algiers
Cable title:
ALGERIAN JOURNALISTS GUILTY OF DEFAMING QADHAFI
VZCZCXRO4912 PP RUEHTRO DE RUEHAS #0465 0941738 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 041738Z APR 07 FM AMEMBASSY ALGIERS TO RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI PRIORITY RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3382 INFO RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1558 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 2126 RUEHRB/AMEMBASSY RABAT 1704 RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS 6546
C O N F I D E N T I A L ALGIERS 000465
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/04/2017
TAGS: PHUM PGOV KPAO AG LY
SUBJECT: ALGERIAN JOURNALISTS GUILTY OF DEFAMING QADHAFI
BUT SENTENCE SUSPENDED
REF: A. 06 ALGIERS 1940
B. 06 ALGIERS 2087
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires, a.i. Thomas F. Daughton
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L ALGIERS 000465
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/04/2017
TAGS: PHUM PGOV KPAO AG LY
SUBJECT: ALGERIAN JOURNALISTS GUILTY OF DEFAMING QADHAFI
BUT SENTENCE SUSPENDED
REF: A. 06 ALGIERS 1940
B. 06 ALGIERS 2087
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires, a.i. Thomas F. Daughton
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (U) Ruling after a rehearing of the case, on April 4 an
Algiers court found editor Ali Fodil and reporter Naila
Berahal of the Arabic-language daily Echourouk El-Youmi
guilty of defaming Libyan President Moammar Qadhafi and gave
each a six-month suspended sentence. The court also fined
the newspaper 50,000 dinars (approximately $715) but did not
order it to close, as the prosecution had requested. The
trial court's original sentence called for two to six months
in prison for each defendant and a two-month suspension of
the paper (ref A). Lawyers for Fodil and Berahal plan to
appeal the April 4 verdict.
2. (C) Comment: Embassy poloff was the only foreign diplomat
at the April 4 court session. A PD FSN sent to the March 21
rehearing reported that the judge refused to hear several
defense witnesses and dyspeptically asked why Echourouk's
editor did not "check" before the paper ran the Qadhafi
stories. It is not clear whether the judge's hostility was
personal or a reflection of official displeasure. Either
way, the reduced sentence is both a victory of sorts for
Fodil and Berahal and a face-saving out for the GOA with
Qadhafi.
DAUGHTON
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/04/2017
TAGS: PHUM PGOV KPAO AG LY
SUBJECT: ALGERIAN JOURNALISTS GUILTY OF DEFAMING QADHAFI
BUT SENTENCE SUSPENDED
REF: A. 06 ALGIERS 1940
B. 06 ALGIERS 2087
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires, a.i. Thomas F. Daughton
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (U) Ruling after a rehearing of the case, on April 4 an
Algiers court found editor Ali Fodil and reporter Naila
Berahal of the Arabic-language daily Echourouk El-Youmi
guilty of defaming Libyan President Moammar Qadhafi and gave
each a six-month suspended sentence. The court also fined
the newspaper 50,000 dinars (approximately $715) but did not
order it to close, as the prosecution had requested. The
trial court's original sentence called for two to six months
in prison for each defendant and a two-month suspension of
the paper (ref A). Lawyers for Fodil and Berahal plan to
appeal the April 4 verdict.
2. (C) Comment: Embassy poloff was the only foreign diplomat
at the April 4 court session. A PD FSN sent to the March 21
rehearing reported that the judge refused to hear several
defense witnesses and dyspeptically asked why Echourouk's
editor did not "check" before the paper ran the Qadhafi
stories. It is not clear whether the judge's hostility was
personal or a reflection of official displeasure. Either
way, the reduced sentence is both a victory of sorts for
Fodil and Berahal and a face-saving out for the GOA with
Qadhafi.
DAUGHTON