Enforced disappearance in Algeria constitutes a grave violation of human rights and a blatant breach of international obligations that prohibit this practice and guarantee the right to life, liberty, and personal security. The number of victims is estimated at around 18,000 people, while thousands of cases remain unresolved, with the fate of the disappeared still unknown. This perpetuates a pattern of impunity and violates families’ right to truth, justice, and reparation.
Violations against human rights defenders continue, as seen in the case of Nassera Detour, president of the Association of the Families of the Disappeared, who was barred from entering Algeria and forcibly returned to France, a clear attempt to silence voices demanding the truth about the disappeared. Such repression only deepens families’ suffering and reflects the lack of political will to carry out an independent investigation and hold perpetrators .
SHOAA for Human Rights calls on the Algerian authorities to fulfill their obligations by opening independent and transparent investigations to determine the fate of the disappeared, providing justice and compensation to victims’ families, and ensuring accountability of those responsible. It further calls for full cooperation with UN mechanisms on enforced disappearances, as this remains an essential condition for achieving justice, safeguarding human dignity, and putting an end to ongoing violations.
