Algeria jails editorial manager

The Algerian criminal court on Thursday sentenced the editorial manager of an Algerian newspaper for six months "for defaming chairman of the finance labor union," Kuwaiti news agency KUNA reported.

Fawzia Ababsah, an editorial manager of the "L'Authentique" newspaper, told KUNA that the judicial police informed her of the ruling Thursday.

She said she was handed in a summoning statement to stand trial in 22 other cases.

The case dates back to a complaint filed by the chairman of the finance labor union for defamation of himself after the newspaper published a commentary annexed with documents refuting his statements that the newspaper blackmailed headquarters that belonged to his union before its owner the

renowned retired general Mohammed Bitchin had vacated them at the end of 1998.

She said there was a conspiracy against her and the newspaper to stop her on the background of a dispute from parties in the ruling regime against the retired general who held the post of commander of intelligence at the end of the eighties.