IFJ Family Deeply Saddened by Loss of Nadir Benseba

The whole IFJ family was deeply saddened at the news of the untimely death of our colleague and friend Nadir Benseba this summer. Nadir, who worked as the IFJ Algeria co-ordinator from 2005 to 2009, died in a car accident on 8 August in Algiers. Nadir was a hugely popular figure among Algerian journalists and the government laid on several coaches to enable hundreds of his colleagues and friends to attend his funeral. Nadir had been a leading figure in the Syndicate National des Journalistes and had run the IFJ Solidarity Centre for Algerian journalists with enormous energy and dedication. During this time he organized numerous campaigns and protests on behalf of persecuted journalists and demonstrated great courage in the face of often fierce hostility. Despite the many obstacles, through his force of personality Nadir was uniquely able to make things happen. Before joining the IFJ Nadir had worked for several years on the high profile daily newspaper, Le Matin. More recently, he launched a new daily, Al Mihwar, and becoming the paper’s director. He was also widely known and respected across the IFJ working closely with journalists unions and activists throughout the Mediterranean and Middle East. But his colleagues will remember him most for his warmth and sense of humour. Nadir’s humanity touched us all. He was universally liked and developed close bonds with all the staff that had the fortune to work with him. He will be badly missed.