The human rights NGO, Amnesty International, has called on the Algerian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release at least 266 activists and demonstrators who took part in the Hirak protest movement.
A statement from AI underlines that these detainees have criticized the authorities, denounced state corruption or expressed their solidarity with people in detention.
Recalling that in May 2022, local observers reported that at least 266 activists and protesters are languishing in Algerian prisons for merely exercising their rights to freedom of expression and assembly, the NGO notes that the Algerian authorities are called upon to “discard all charges against these persons without delay”.
“The unjustified imprisonment of activists and protesters must end,” said the deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International, saying that “it is shameful that Algerian authorities continue to use overly repressive and vaguely worded laws to prosecute people solely for peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression and assembly”.
She said many protesters are being held in pre-trial detention for excessively long periods, while others have been sentenced to up to five years in prison on overbroad and fabricated charges. all parts such as “attack” on State security, “attack on national unity”, “contempt” of a representative of public authority, “incitement to unarmed crowds”, propagation of false information and terrorism.
According to Guellali, “sixty years after Algeria gained its independence, fundamental freedoms and human rights continue to be neglected, flouted or actively restricted”.
She recalled the death in prison, on April 24, 2022, of Hakim Debbazi, a detainee linked to Hirak, in unclear circumstances, recalls Amnesty, noting that Debbazi had been in pretrial detention since February 2022, after having shared a publication made on another Facebook page, which called for a demonstration to mark the third anniversary of the Hirak movement.
He was prosecuted for “inciting an unarmed gathering”, “insulting public officials” and publishing content likely to “harm the national interest”, adds the organization, noting that the court rejected a request of provisional release filed by his lawyers, but gave no explanation for this refusal.
Of all the cases documented by Amnesty International, at least four detainees were targeted for additional trials while already in prison for offenses relating to online or offline criticism of the state.
After the Hirak movement was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Algerian authorities stepped up sanctions against peaceful opposition, Amnesty International has denounced, noting that the increased crackdown on people critical of the The state was not limited to Algerians inside the country, but also targeted several individuals residing or seeking refuge abroad.
At least two asylum seekers were also deported for their alleged links with unauthorized organizations, while at least three dual nationals residing in Canada were arbitrarily arrested or an interrogation on their arrival in Algeria, before being prevented from leaving the country for weeks, even months, the same source is indignant.
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