Algeria: Continued restrictions on human rights defenders undermine social reforms says United Nations (UN) expert

Algeria must refrain from targeting human rights defenders in order to build on the reforms of the past four years, a UN expert said today.

“While I welcome the evident reforms which have taken place over the past four years and the new emphasis on public consultation, I regret that some human rights defenders who work on sensitive issues face continued restrictions,” said Mary Lawlor, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders in a statement at the conclusion of an official country visit.

The UN expert observed four main patterns of violations used to suppress human rights defenders: ongoing judicial harassment, dissolution of key human rights organisations, limitations on freedom of movement and intimidation and surveillance leading to severely negative impacts on their mental health and that of their families.

“I was saddened that a handful of human rights defenders who attempted to travel to Tizi Ouzou, where I was holding meetings, were prevented from doing so and detained for 10 hours,” Lawlor said.

“Given Algeria’s recent history, robust laws relating to terrorism are clearly necessary,” the expert said. “However, it is disappointing that laws designed to prevent terrorism are instilling terror in human rights defenders through overly broad and vague definitions of what constitutes terrorism in the Penal Code.”

The Special Rapporteur noted that Article 87 bis of the Penal Code was one of the most frequently cited laws used to prosecute human rights defenders.

Despite this, the expert said there were many people working to protect and promote human rights with the full support of the government and the newly created consultative bodies in areas including women’s rights, children’s rights, healthcare, poverty relief and political participation. Based on this collaboration and experience, the Special Rapporteur believes the government is now better equipped to reach out to human rights defenders working on sensitive issues.

Lawlor welcomed the acquittal of three human rights defenders, Jamila Loukil, Kaddour Chouicha and Said Boudour, of terrorism charges in Dar El Baida court on Sunday. 

“I hope this acquittal will kickstart a review process of Article 87 bis, and I stand ready to assist the Algerian government in any way I can in this regard,” she said.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).