The anniversary of 1 November, with its enduring significance of liberation and dignity, is a reminder that protecting human freedom and rights is an ongoing responsibility, and that commemorating past sacrifices must go hand in hand with safeguarding the rights of Algerians today.
SHOAA for Human Rights stresses that expressing opinions, criticizing public authorities and institutions, participating in public affairs, and assembling peacefully are fundamental rights whose exercise must not become grounds for prosecution or imprisonment.
On this anniversary, the organization recalls the suffering of prisoners of conscience and their families, as well as journalists, activists, and human rights defenders deprived of their liberty for expressing themselves peacefully. Dignity is inseparable from the right to speak, participate, and dissent without fear.
SHOAA calls on the Algerian authorities to release all those detained for their opinions or peaceful activism, end prosecutions linked to the exercise of rights and freedoms, review criminal provisions used to criminalize peaceful expression, and ensure that counterterrorism legislation is not used to restrict human rights work, journalism, or civic activism.
Honouring the memory of the struggle for freedom requires protecting the freedom of Algerians today, safeguarding their dignity, and guaranteeing their right to participate in shaping their country’s future.
