The North Africa Journal – June 8, 2018: Algerian journalist Layla Haddad Lefevre, who used to be the correspondent of the Algerian public broadcasting network in Brussels, appeared in a video shot at the EU headquarters denouncing the President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and his regime.
Layla Haddad vividly lashed out at the President and his adviser and brother, Said Bouteflika, urging them to leave on the grounds that Abdelaziz Bouteflika is not able to government due to his illness. Through the Algerian Ambassador to Belgium, the Algerian government has vehemently deplored the “unacceptable misappropriation of the EU symbols and parliament to insult the honor and dignity of the Algerian Institutions”.
The Ambassador called Layla Haddad a “pseudo-journalist” with “bipolar behavior” who “gives her voice to the foreign powers who are hostile to Algeria”. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned John O’Rourke, the EU’s Ambassador to Algeria, to discuss the issue. Following the meeting, the latter tweeted that while Layla Haddad Lefevre is accredited by the EU, she does not speak for the EU. The tweet was criticized by the government, which urged the EU to denounce the journalist.
On 4 June, the journalist announced that she was the victim of a physical assault outside her home in Brussels by two “North African individuals”. Layla Haddad added that the Belgian authorities launched an investigation.
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