SHOAA for Human Rights received with deep shock and concern the tragic news of the self-immolation attempt by civil society activist Faouzi Abdelkader Zekout in front of the Ministry of Justice on the morning of Sunday, June 1, 2025. The act, broadcast live on his Facebook page, was a desperate protest against what he described as “ongoing judicial injustice and systematic abuse” by a judge at the Frenda Court (Tiaret Court of Justice).
It is worth noting that Mr. Zekout was previously imprisoned in 2020 due to his civil society activism, following a ruling issued by the same judge, whom he later directly accused of “fabricating charges” and “threatening him with arbitrary imprisonment of up to ten years.”
Following the incident, Faouzi Abdelkader Zekout was transferred to the specialized hospital for severe burn victims in Zeralda, where he is currently receiving treatment in critical condition.
In light of this serious incident, SHOAA for Human Rights declares the following:
1. We strongly condemn all forms of judicial abuse and misuse of power, which pose a grave threat to fundamental human rights and erode public trust in the justice system.
2. We call on the competent judicial and administrative authorities to launch an urgent, impartial, and transparent investigation into the circumstances of this incident, especially considering the direct accusations made by the victim himself.
3. We urge the Ministry of Justice to assume its institutional and moral responsibility to ensure the independence and integrity of the judiciary, and to seriously examine the allegations of judicial corruption and abuse.
4. We demand full disclosure of the investigation’s findings to the public, as a matter of the community’s right to information and in the spirit of accountability and transparency.
5. We emphasize that this incident cannot be separated from a broader context of repression and the systematic use of the judiciary as a tool to silence and intimidate activists.
Finally, SHOAA for Human Rights calls upon all human rights defenders, civil society actors, and the media to stand united in demanding accountability, ending impunity, and defending human dignity and the right to justice without fear or humiliation.
