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More Freedom of Speech Violations…….

But no, not in Germany, in Tunisia!

PUBLISHING: TUNISIA, WEEKLY PAPER CONFISCATED

ANSAmed: TUNIS, OCTOBER 23 – The Arab-language Tunisian weekly ‘Mouatinoun’ (Citizen), out yesterday, has been confiscated. Daily paper ‘Le Temps’ said that the decision was taken based on article 73 of the law on the press for “statements against the law”. The file concerned has been sent to the Public Prosecutor.
BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE!
(ANSAmed) – ALGIERS, OCTOBER 20 – The new book by Mohamed Benchicou, former director of the Algerian newspaper Le Matin, already detained two years, was seized by Algerian police who raided the printing works where it was being printed. “All of the documents as well as the manuscript of Journal d’un homme libre (Diary of a Free Man)”, Benchicou said during a press conference in Algiers “were seized by police after a raid at the Mauguin printing works in Blida”. “This is authority wanting to launch a message to all creators in order to silence them”.
In the new book, Benchicou tells the story of the most recent period in his life, since his release from prison the 14th of June 2006. “It is the second part of ‘Le Geoles d’Alger’ (‘The Prisons of Algiers’). I tell of the last two years of my life as a free man, but it is also critical of the fighting between clans for the third term of President Bouteflika”. Benchicou, author of the 2004 book ‘Bouteflika An Algerian Impostor’, the sale of which is still banned in Algeria, spent two years in prison (2004-2006) officially for “the illegal transfer of capital”.
Le Matin closed down after he was sentenced, to reappear a year ago, but only in an online version. ‘Le Geoles d’Alger’ was also removed from the last international salon of Algerian literature. Journal ‘un homme libre, Benchicou assured ”if it doesn’t come out in Algeria, it will be published in France and on Internet”.
But we in Europe have nothing to thump our chests about, freedom of speech has been under attack for some time now, with the political elites ready to tell us what is acceptable and what is not. I say to ‘HE double sippy straws’ to the lot of them.
If the European Union continues on course, with its deepening of its relationship with the Mediterranean south, it will most certainly lead to an eventual inclusion of the Maghreb states into the EU itself. If you think our freedoms are under attack now, just wait until the Islamic states start demanding European papers to shut down, or offending individuals against Islam and it ideals are extradited to Algeria or Egypt to be judged under Islamic law. KGS

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