Today, on December 10, 2023, the world celebrates the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a document adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948.
While countries around the world celebrate the achievements in human rights and dignity since its declaration, Algeria, as a whole, continues to grapple with the absence of democratic freedoms and the practice of suppressing citizens. This includes restricting political and civil rights, lacking freedom of opinion, expression, assembly, and association, alongside arbitrary arrests.
The escalation of repression and accusations against human rights defenders, journalists, and activists began with the onset of the “Hirak movement” demanding freedom and democracy in Algeria since June 2019. Until now, the human rights situation in Algeria has witnessed a devastating deterioration on all levels due to the authorities’ use of systematic suppression, intimidation, and arbitrary arrests.
Human rights defenders, both men and women, in Algeria face harassment, threats, arbitrary detention, and judicial persecution, reaching the point of being accused of terrorism based on their human rights advocacy. Authorities utilise Article 87 bis, defining terrorism broadly to silence opposition voices and retaliate against activists, journalists, and lawyers. This has led to unwarranted and vague restrictions on freedom of expression and the press, especially with over 250 opinion detainees from various civil, political, and rights backgrounds held arbitrarily in prison under unjust judicial sentences for merely exercising their right to expression.
Violence against women in Algeria includes persecution, arrests, and imprisonment of dozens of women, with over 20 incarcerated due to their human rights and political activities. Three of them remain in prison for their participation in the Hirak movement. Authorities persist in employing unnecessary and excessive force to disperse peaceful protests, a blatant violation of Algerians’ right to peaceful assembly. The tightening grip on associations and restricting the freedom of civil society, including the dissolution of associations and judicial pursuit of their members, is justified under the pretext of “national security” and “public order.”
We, as SHOAA Organisation for Human Rights, on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we are well aware that the tasks awaiting us as human rights defenders are significant and challenging. However, we look to the future with optimism and great hope that freedom, dignity, and social justice will prevail in Algeria. It is reassuring that the protection of human rights has gained increasing importance and garnered more attention from the Algerian people.
On this occasion, we address the Algerian authorities, urging them to take all necessary measures to improve the human rights situation in Algeria, including:
• Immediate and unconditional release of all human rights defenders, political prisoners, and those detained for expressing their fundamental rights.
• Release of women activists and putting an end to systematic violence against them, establishing mechanisms to assist women and girls victims of violence, and adopting appropriate legislative and policy measures to prevent any form of discrimination against women.
• Amending the articles of the Penal Code that relate to terrorism and disturbing national unity and ensuring their compatibility with international standards, which stipulate that the definition of terrorism and related crimes must be accessible, precisely formulated, not vague and not vague. Discriminatory and non-retroactive.
• Amending the articles in the Penal Code that stipulate criminal penalties for anyone who “insults or offends” individuals, government bodies or institutions, where restricting or prohibiting expression on this basis is contrary to the international Human rights laws and laws on freedom of expression.
• Stop arbitrary arrests for exercising the right to freedom of demonstration and peaceful assembly, and lift excessive restrictions imposed on Algerians’ right to freedom of demonstration and peaceful assembly.
• Retract the policy of arbitrary closure of civil and political organisations, ensure freedom of association, and release the new law related to associations.
• Stop the intimidation and persecution of human rights defenders and allow them to exercise their legitimate rights without any legal and administrative harassment.
• Abolition of security regulations restricting freedom of movement and preventing people from traveling outside Algeria or those wishing to return to Algeria.
• Commitment to international conventions that criminalise torture, and the necessity of ratifying the Optional Protocol against torture and ill-treatment.
• Commitment to international treaties and stop delaying the ratification of the international convention for the protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.
• Ensure broad and continuous consultation and dialogue with all civil society organisations in the country, including those that work specifically on sensitive Human rights issues.
• Implementing the recommendations supported by the Government of Algeria during the universal periodic review process last year and benefit from the support provided by the United Nations country office and human rights defenders in Algeria to contribute important in its implementation.
