BBC Monitoring

Text of report by N. R. headlined "Boumerdes: Lawsuit against journalists" published by Algerian newspaper El-Khabar website on 3 October

The Algerian Union of Journalists' branch in Boumerdes Province denounced what it described as provocations and harassment against the press. The statement came in response to lawsuits which had been filed against La Nouvelle Republique newspaper's Boumerdes correspondent and manager of Le Soir d'Algerie newspaper's office in the same province.

The union's branch said in a statement - received by El-Khabar - that the mayor of Bourj Mnayil and a renowned billionaire had decided to pursue in courts both La Nouvelle Republique correspondent Kouaider Djaouab and Lahsane Abbachi, manager of Le Soir d'Algerie office in Boumerdes Province over publication of articles on a fire incident in a depot in a residential area, owned by the billionaire, which contained toxic substances.

Source: El-Khabar website, Algiers, in Arabic 3 Oct 07