Algeria bans French media M6 over Hirak reportage

Algeria’s communication ministry Monday issued a ban on French TV M6 for the production of a clandestine reportage on Hirak, the popular demonstrations that have engulfed the country since February last year.

“This precedent is pushing us to ban M6 from operating in Algeria, no matter how,” the ministry said in a statement.

M6 on Monday premiered the reportage that it titled “Algeria, the country of all uprisings.”

The 75-minute long “exclusive investigation” featured three young Algerians namely Noor; a Youtuber who dreams of freedom to teach make-up sessions to Algerian women, Nardjes, who has decided to live western lifestyle in her country, described as ultraconservative, and lastly Ayoub who dreams of an Islamic state in the North African country and has joined politics to achieve that goal.

The ministry argued that M6 did not receive any license to record the reportage and that a French-Algerian journalist produced the report with the help of an Algerian, using fake production license.

The ministry also indicated that the French media back in March submitted an application for a license for a program dubbed “Exclusive investigation” to shoot a documentary on the promotion of Algeria’s economic and tourism growth in the city of Oran as well as on its multi-culturalism.

The application according to the ministry was turned down. The ministry also lambasted the entire French media for targeting Algeria and staining its image at every electoral period.

Algerians are to go to the polls in November to approve a new constitution, allegedly responding to the demands of the popular demonstrations.

The demonstrations, which were suspended in March due to the covid-19 pandemic, started in February last year and led to the resignation of former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika in April. The weekly protests are demanding an overhaul of the Algerian regime.