On Sunday, 30 November 2025, thirteen activists will appear before the Criminal Court of First Instance at the Algiers Court of Justice on charges of a serious nature, some of which are punishable by death under the Algerian Penal Code. This judicial proceeding takes place amid growing human rights concerns over the use of state-security related charges against activists and opponents for peaceful activities.
Seven activists are currently held in pre-trial detention: Mohamed Tadjadit, Mustafa Guira, Benhalima Mohamed Azzouz, Mohamed Abdallah, Souhaib Debbaghi, Malek Riahi, and Sofiane Rebaï. Six others are being prosecuted while not detained: Ahmed Tarek Debbaghi, Noureddine Khemoud, Sadek Louail, Amir Boukhors, Ismail Ahmed, and Si El Hadj Mohand Yacine.
The activists face charges including the felony of conspiracy allegedly aimed at inciting citizens against state authority and undermining national territorial unity, in addition to the misdemeanor of undermining national unity and territorial integrity. The prosecution also accuses them of receiving funds from inside and outside the country to carry out actions that could harm state security, the stability and normal functioning of its institutions, national unity, territorial integrity, and public order, as part of what is described as a coordinated plan inside and outside Algeria.
The charge sheet also includes displaying and possessing materials intended for distribution that may harm the national interest, as well as incitement to an unlawful assembly. These prosecutions are based on several articles of the Penal Code, including Article 100 (paragraph 1), Article 77 (paragraph 1), Article 78, Article 79, Article 95 bis, Article 95 bis 1, and Article 96. Article 77 is among the most severe, as it provides for the death penalty, while Article 78 stipulates life imprisonment if the conspiracy results in the commission of the crime.
SHOAA for Human Rights expresses its deep concern regarding the severity of the charges brought against the activists, particularly in a broader context marked by shrinking civic space and growing restrictions on freedom of expression in Algeria. The organization stresses the need to guarantee fair trial standards, uphold international human rights norms, ensure the right to defense, and refrain from using vague and overly broad charges to criminalize peaceful political or human rights activities.
