Algeria recalled its ambassador this week in Paris over France television controversial broadcasts about Hirak protest movement

By Gary Raynaldo      DIPLOMATIC  TIMES

A diplomatic row has erupted between Algeria and France after the airing of controversial broadcasts on state-owned French TV that the government of Algiers deemed hostile and an attack on its people. Algiers recalled its ambassador in Paris Wednesday over the broadcasts.  The Algerian move comes after a French television channel aired a series of documentaries about the Algerian Hirak (protest) movement.

” Algeria has decided to recall its ambassador to France for consultations, following recurrent broadcasts on state-owned TV channels that constitute “attacks on the Algerian people and its institutions, including the People’s National Army.” 

 -Ministre des Affaires Etrangères   Algerie 

The statement added,  “The steady and repeated nature of the programs broadcast by the French public channels, the most recent of which was broadcast by France 5 and the parliamentary channel on May 26, 2020, which appears to be spontaneous, under the name and pretext of freedom of expression, is in fact nothing but attacks on the people. Algerian and its institutions, including the National People’s Army, descendant of the National Liberation Army. ”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirmed that “this prejudice and this hostility reveals the evident and sustained intention of some circles that it is not to be desired that relations prevail between Algeria and France after fifty-eight (58) years of independence in the context of mutual respect and balance of interests that cannot be In no case.”

Le film-documentaire « Algérie, mon amour », diffusé sur la chaîne publique France 5, continue de susciter la polémique en Algérie.https://t.co/cp6iAfc7E9#Algerie #France5 #Hirak #Film #MustaphaKessous

— Observ'Algérie (@ObservAlgerie) May 28, 2020

The French channel has received a torrent of criticism after broadcasting a documentary on the Algerian popular protest movement, known as the Hirak, and has been accused of failing to adequately represent the diverse social nature and ideologies of its members, middleeasteye.com reported. 

Credit: theguardian.com / Algerians protest in the capital, Algiers, on Friday Mar. 8, 2019 / Photograph: Mohamed Messara/EPA

“We the Algerian people denounce France [sic] attempt to discredit the Hirak with a reportage that reduces our cause to some silly demands while we fight for justice and freedom and change of the regime,”   – one user tweeted.

The Hirak movement was ignited on 22 February 2019 after nationwide protests erupted against the decision by then-president Abdelaziz Bouteflika to seek a fifth term in office despite his debilitating state, middleeasteye.s

instead of shedding the light on our real problems here like the illegal arrests of activists and journalists, the regime that has no legitimacy in power, the corruption that burn this country and etc …
france 5 is focusing on stupid things like masturbation and sexuality … https://t.co/wqoFvOK7EQ

— Zuhir Benslama (@ZuhirBenslama) May 27, 2020

‘France Fully Respects Algeria’s sovereignty’:    Statement  

Journalists today asked “What is France’s response to the recall of Algeria’s ambassador to Paris following the airing by French networks of documentaries on the Hirak movement?”

FRANCE RESPONSE:

“All media outlets enjoy complete editorial independence. It is protected by the law in France. In keeping with the deep and longstanding relationship between our two countries, to which we attach the greatest importance, France fully respects Algeria’s sovereignty. On that basis, we intend to continue expanding our bilateral relations.”

-Ministère de l’Europe et des Affaires étrangères  May 28, 2020