Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07ALGIERS465
2007-04-04 17:38:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Algiers
Cable title:  

ALGERIAN JOURNALISTS GUILTY OF DEFAMING QADHAFI

Tags:  PHUM PGOV KPAO AG LY 
pdf how-to read a cable
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