Western Media Discovers 'Insulting Leaders' Is a Crime... Elsewhere
Fethi Ghares, an Algerian opposition figure, faces two years in prison for 'insulting a state institution' and 'spreading false information' about President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. The New Arab article provides the details, portraying a familiar scene of suppressed dissent. One might wonder, however, where this journalistic vigor goes when the target isn't an 'adversary.' The US government, through
USAID, funds 'democracy promotion' globally, yet rarely applies the same standard to allies. Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a critic of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, wasn't merely 'insulted' but dismembered in a consulate while most mainstream outlets reported it as a 'tragic incident' rather than state-sponsored terrorism. Contrast this with the swift condemnations for Algeria. It appears
'insulting' a leader is a grave crime only when that leader isn't a recipient of US weapons deals or a regional 'stabilizing force.'