Journalist attacked after being sentenced to six-month Journalist attacked after being sentenced to six-month

On 20 January 2003, Hacène Bouras, a correspondent for the daily "El Djazaïri" in the town of El Bayadh (south-western Algeria), was struck by two sons of local public figures. Just prior to the assault, he was sentenced for slandering one of the public figures. RSF previously expressed its alarm over similar attacks and threats against local correspondents in a November 2002 report. Journalists are frequently assaulted by public figures who choose to take the law into their own hands when they feel they have been slandered in the local press. In the summer of 2002, Saâd Garboussi, president of the Nememchas Chamber of Commerce, brutally attacked Abdelaï Beliardouh, the correspondent for the daily "El Watan" newspaper in Tébessa. Beliardouh committed suicide a few weeks later. The organisation once again urges the authorities to protect journalists, especially those who work in isolated towns, far from major urban centres. On 20 January, in the evening, the son of the National Mujahedin Organisation's (Organisation nationale des moudjahidin, ONM) secretary in the El Bayadh wilaya (administrative area), the El Bayadh National Assembly (Assemblée nationale populaire (APC) vice-chairperson's son and one of his relatives went to Bouras' home. They beat him up and lightly injured his face with a knife. The journalist, who is also a member of the Algerian Human Rights League's (Ligue algérienne pour la défense des droits de l'homme, LADDH) El Bayadh committee, subsequently went on a two-week medical leave from his job. He is wearing a cast on one of his arms. On 14 January, the El Bayadh Criminal Court handed Bouras a six-month suspended prison sentence and a 10,000 dinar (approx. US$130; 120 euros) fine. The local ONM chapter had filed a complaint against his newspaper following the publication of a letter denouncing the current ONM secretary's past. The letter was signed by an ONM member and was addressed to the Mujahedin Ministry. The journalist has filed a complaint against the three individuals who attacked him. None of them have been arrested to date. RSF tried to reach Bouras by telephone but his line had been cut.