UN experts condemn Algeria’s use of security laws to supress public freedoms

ALGIERS - UN experts and Special Rapporteurs accused the Algerian regime of "politically instrumentalizing terrorism" to suppress public freedoms.

On December 27, in a communication addressed to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), these UN experts and rapporteurs accused the Algerian regime of politically instrumentalizing "terrorism" to repress and public freedoms.

A group of experts and special rapporteurs of the UN sent the communication to the OHCHR concerning some laws related to the security field and the fight against terrorism recently approved in Algeria.

“According to the information received, and since 2019, an increasing number of activists, journalists and human rights defenders who have played a role in the protest movement (Hirak) were prosecuted on charges related to terrorism,” said the communication.

“The High Council for National Security, an advisory body responsible for advising the President of the Republic on security issues, also qualified certain groups participating in the Hirak movement as terrorists,” it added.

Several UN human rights experts condemned the increasing use of security laws to prosecute people legitimately exercising their rights to freedom of opinion and of expression, as well as to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.

The special rapporteurs and experts called on the OHCHR to intervene quickly with Algerian authorities to demand a thorough review of the new anti-terrorism laws adopted between 2020 and 2021.

According to the document, these Special Rapporteurs also demanded that the authorities be held accountable for the use of these new anti-terrorism laws in the repression of opponents and peaceful activists

In May 2021, Rupert Colville, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said that “we are increasingly concerned about the situation in Algeria where the rights to freedom of opinion and expression, peaceful assembly and participation in public affairs continue to be under attack.”

Since the resumption of demonstrations in the streets of Algeria on 13 February 2021 – after a year of protests held online by the Hirak movement due to the COVID-19 pandemic – Colville said that they had received sustained reports of unnecessary and disproportionate force against peaceful protesters, as well as continuing arrests.

The UN human rights body reiterated its call on Algerian authorities to conduct prompt, impartial and effective investigations into all allegations of human rights violations, to hold accountable those responsible, and to ensure that victims have access to redress.