The Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Clément Nyaletsossi Voule, has criticized the Algerian government for continuing “to use repressive, unconstitutional laws from the pre-Hirak era to repress peaceful dissent.”
The Human Rights Council in Geneva issued on Sunday a report written by the Special Rapporteur, who conducted a visit to Algeria in September 2023.
“Human rights activists and journalists continue to be arbitrarily detained and civil society associations arbitrarily dissolved or refused registration,” said the report.
In January 2023, the Special Rapporteur wrote to the Algerian government to express concern about the prosecution of journalist Ihsane El Kadi.
On 18 June 2023, the Algiers Court of Appeal upheld El Kadi’s conviction for receiving foreign funds for “political propaganda” and receiving funds that could undermine the security of the state and increased his sentence from five to seven years’ imprisonment.
During the visit, the Special Rapporteur reiterated his concerns about El Kadi’s prosecution, which is related to the legitimate exercise of his freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of opinion.
Human rights organization, the Rassemblement actions jeunesse (Youth Action Rally), has been dissolved at the request of government authorities, said the report.
The Special Rapporteur acknowledged the desire of the Algerian government to ensure safety and stability. “However, long-term safety and security cannot be achieved without respecting human rights and ensuring that all persons, including critics of the government, can exercise their fundamental rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association,” he said.
“For true and long-standing peace and security, governments must treat civil society as a valued partner and not as a threat,” he added.
