The coronavirus arrived in Algeria just as a mass protest movement against the corrupt regime led by former president Abdelaziz Bouteflika was marking its first anniversary. The tough measures taken by the government in response to the pandemic have led critics to accuse it of seizing the opportunity to settle scores with protest leaders and independent journalists. As happens all too often in authoritarian states, the need to take decisive action to limit the spread of the disease is being used as a pretext for repression.

FULL ARTICLE: https://en.ejo.ch/ethics-quality/algeria-coronavirus-and-the-media