His Excellency Liamine Zeroual
President of the High Council of State
Palais Presidentiel El Mourada
Algiers
Algeria
Vienna, 27 September 1994
Your Excellency
The International Press Institute (IPI) representing over 2000 journalists and editors from leading newspapers, magazines and broadcasting organizations and news agencies in over 85 countries, is most concerned about the assassinations of two journalists in Algeria, Mr. Smail Sbaghdi and Mr. Moluloud Barroudi, in the last few days.
IPI is informed that on the evening of 25 September, Mr. Sbaghdi, a journalist with the Algerian Press Service, was gunned down by unidentified gunmen as he stepped out of a taxi in front of his residence in the suburb of Bachdjara.
Earlier that day, the body of Mr. Barroudi, a cameraman for the National Agency for Filmed News, was found near his home. He had been killed with a knife, probably the day before.
While both of these murders have not been claimed by anyone, they join the long list of colleagues murdered in Algeria in the last few months. The total number of journalists killed since May 1993 is now up to twenty.
IPI therefore requests that you and your government use your influence so that these murders and other attempted attacks on journalists in your country be investigated and that those responsible be brought to justice.
I should be most grateful if you were to give this appeal your personal attention.
Yours sincerely,
Johann P. Fritz
Director