Career
In 1989, he was one of the founders of the movement of Algerian journalists (MJA) a movement born during the opening of the media field. He then leads the team which relaunched ''Alger Républicain'', banned from publication in 1965. Benchicou left ''Alger Républicain'' in 1991 with Saïd Mekbel and Fodil Mezali and founded the daily newspaper ''Le Matin'' of opposition. In June 2004, he was sentenced to two years in prison for an infraction in money exchange regulation. In July, SIMPRAL, the Algiers-based government publisher, stopped printing ''Le Matin'' for its failure to pay a debt of 38 million dinars ($535,200) PEN (the international association of writers) describes the prison in which Benchicou was in as harsh and infested with lice and cockroaches; with 50 prisoners to a cell. Benchicou's health has reportedly deteriorated since his imprisonment which caused him to develop arthritis; consequently, he lost the ability to use his right hand for writing. Benchicou also published a book in 2004 called ''Bouteflika, an Algerian “fraud”'', believed to be the source of all his juridic problems.Personal life
Mohamed Benchicou is the eldest of a family of seven children. He is married and father of three children, two girls and a boy.Awards and honors
* 2006Bibliography
* ''Bouteflika, une imposture algérienne'' (Bouteflika an Algerian "Fake"), Le Matin Editions - Picollec, 2004 * ''Les geôles d’Alger'' (Prisons of Algiers), Inas - Riveneuve, 2007 * ''Je pardonnerai'', (I'll Forgive, Poems), Inas, 2008 * ''Journal d'un homme libre'', (A Freeman's Diaries) Auteur-Riveneuve, 2008 * ''Notre ami Bouteflika, de l'état rêvé à l'état scélérat'' (Our Friend Bouteflika), Riveneuve, 2010 * ''Le mensonge de Dieu'' (God's Lie), Michalon, 2011 * ''Le dernier soir du dictateur'' (Last Night of a Dictator), Riveneuve, 2011External links
References