Reporters sans frontières has urged the Algerian justice system to put an end to its harassment of "Le Matin" editor Mohammed Benchicou, who is already serving a two-year sentence and could now be convicted in two or possibly three separate libel cases on 7 December 2004. "With close to 50 cases [pending], with one trial after another, one lawsuit after another, hearings adjourned by judges and incomprehensible legal manoeuvres, Benchicou's legal ordeal is on a par with the absurdities and nightmarish procedures of the bureaucratic and partisan judicial system described in Franz Kafka's 'The Trial'," RSF said. (French version available through the link below)

Ministers and representatives from Governments participating in the Western Mediterranean Dialogue on Migration, also known as the "5+5 Dialogue" are meeting on 15 and 16 September in Algiers to work on regional cooperative approaches in the field of migration management. The event, organized by the Government of Algeria in close partnership with the International Organization for Migration, will allow participants from Algeria, France, Italy, Libya, Malta, Mauritania, Morocco, Portugal, Spain and Tunisia to follow up on the "Tunis Declaration", adopted in October 2002 by participating ministers.

Algeria has been a case study in how not to deal with Islamist activism. Its experience dwarfs that of its neighbours in both scale of violence - over 100,000 deaths since 1991 - and number of Islamic organisations disputing the religious, political and military fields. But there is now an opportunity to turn this tragic page, says a report from the International Crisis Group. "Seizing it requires a skilful blend of political, security, legal and diplomatic measures to eliminate remaining armed groups. But Algeria's political class also must recast debate around a new agenda of practical reform. Europe needs to help more, and the U.S. to be more sophisticated in its handling of an over-played al-Qaeda factor."