​The outlet said authorities had given the channel a final warning over its 'coverage of Friday marches' of the long-running Hirak anti-government protest movement


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Algiers, June 14 (RHC)-- Algeria cancelled the accreditation of France 24, the communications ministry said on Sunday, a day after parliamentary elections in the former French colony.

The move was due to the satellite news channel’s “clear and repeated hostility towards our country and its institutions," the ministry and government spokesman Ammar Belhimer said in quotes carried by the state news agency APS.

Belhimer also accused France 24 of failing to respect journalistic rules and ethics, saying it “practises disinformation and manipulation in addition to confirmed hostility against Algeria.”  The outlet said authorities had given the channel a final warning on March 13 over its “coverage of Friday marches” of the long-running Hirak anti-government protest movement.

In a statement on Sunday, the public broadcast service said it was “surprised not to have received any explanation” for the move, stressing that “we cover Algerian news transparently, independently and honestly.”

The French government, which has tense ties with Algiers, did not immediately comment.  

The withdrawal of France 24’s accreditation came a day after the North African country held legislative elections, with almost 70 percent of voters abstaining according to official figures.