ICIJ/Will Fitzgibbon: Panama Papers changes the conversation

ICIJPanama Papers changes the conversation.

Hello,

I’m ICIJ’s Africa and Middle East partnership coordinator and senior reporter. I worked on ICIJ’s 2016 investigation, the Panama Papers, which we are celebrating all month long.

Given the tough media freedom situation in the regions I focus on, you might not be surprised to know that what stays with me about the Panama Papers is not who resigned in scandal.

It’s about the courage of journalists who risked going to jail, others who received threats and some who even crossed borders – just in case something more serious happened. And they did it all because they believe in the power of public interest journalism.

The investigation couldn’t have happened without partners like Lyas Hallas from Algeria. And now, some of the people he investigated are reportedly behind bars or under investigation.

Politicians and business moguls exposed by Lyas’ reporting were the subject of Algerian demonstrators’ ire in February protests that forced the resignation of the country’s long-time president, Abdelaziz Bouteflika.
What was your most memorable moment from the Panama Papers? A huge “catch” when just one minute after I opened the Panama Papers database for the first time. I found Rym Sellal, the daughter of the then prime minister, Abdelmalek Sellal. It was very motivating.

What happened after your stories were published? The general public reacted well, which was satisfying…I had to resign from the newspaper where I worked in order to get my investigation published. I had a story on the Minister of Industry at the time, Abdeslam Bouchouareb. Bouchouareb put a bit of pressure on the editor – I don’t know what they said – and the editor told me that he wouldn’t take it. Five days before the agreed publication date with ICIJ, I had to find another newspaper to publish my story...

I was harassed online… Some people said I was dancing to the tune of foreigners and others accused me of faking documents. Chakib Khelil [a former oil minister exposed by Lyas for his alleged involvement in a $275 million bribery scheme] wrote on Facebook, without naming me directly, that I was a “Zionist agent.” Obviously, I didn’t react to this kind of nonsense, which was mostly anonymous.

For someone who has not followed anything, what has happened in Algeria now?  President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s desire to seek a fifth term sparked the revolutionary movement on February, 22. Algerians have long lived through his power grab as a great collective humiliation.

One month before the end of his fourth term, massive demonstrations forced Bouteflika to resign. He did leave, but the system Bouteflika built — even if it’s weakened — is still in place.

Every week during the protests, the same ritual took place. Every Friday, millions of people protested in unity around the theme "Get them all out!” The term "all" referred to those widely-despised figures from the Bouteflika era who, in the eyes of the demonstrators, embodied mediocrity, injustice and corruption.

Can you give us a summary of how your journalistic work is related to events and news? It’s not my job to spark protests. Maybe my work contributed to bringing attention to the pillage of the country’s resources and to the lack of some people’s “tax patriotism.” Or maybe it accentuated the feeling of injustice among many Algerians given the impunity of some people I wrote about.

During the recent protests, one of the main slogans was “You have devoured the country, band of looters!” Some protest banners included photos of politicians and businessmen I exposed.

What do you hope for journalism in Algeria after the change in government and after the revolution?  I’m optimistic. Algerian journalists are aware of the stakes. I hope that we will have the collective intelligence to help lay down new rules of the game. Rules that will establish healthy competition and that will help give birth to stories that can adequately inform Algerians.
You can read everything Lyas shared about the Panama Papers here.

The unique thing about ICIJ is that we put just as much effort into working with journalists like Lyas as we do with reporters from countries who never have to worry about going to jail – or worse. We’re a truly global news organization in a way that no other group can claim to be.
Won't you support our network of investigative reporters?

Thanks!

Will Fitzgibbon
Senior reporter & coordinator of Africa and Middle East partnerships
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