Algeria: The Algerian security forces must refrain from using illegal force to disperse people demonstrating to call for radical political change and that the authorities release the more than 60 Hirak militants ( Southern Movement) who continue to languish in prison for participating in protests, Amnesty International said ahead of protests scheduled for May 7.
Since the Hirak resumed its weekly protests in February, after having interrupted them for nearly a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, authorities have cracked down on protests in Algiers, the capital, and in other cities. , in particular by forcibly dispersing peaceful gatherings, beating demonstrators and carrying out collective arrests.
“The brutal police response to the courageous protesters taking part in Hirak illustrates why people across Algeria are calling for political reform. The illegal use of force and arbitrary detentions are unacceptable, and the testimonies we have heard are extremely worrying, said Amna Guellali, deputy director of the Middle East and North Africa program at Amnesty International.
“The Algerian authorities must allow peaceful demonstrations and not resort to force or other unjustified punitive measures. All those detained solely for exercising their rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly should be released immediately and unconditionally, and all charges against them should be dropped. “The Algerian authorities must allow peaceful demonstrations and refrain from resorting to force or other unjustified punitive measures. All those detained solely for exercising their rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly should be released immediately and unconditionally, and all charges against them should be dropped. Amna Guellali, Deputy Director of the Middle East and North Africa Program at Amnesty International
According to the National Committee for the Liberation of Detainees (CNLD), a local monitoring group, at least 63 people are currently detained in Algeria for their activist activities, including 48 people arrested since February. In two recent protests, which took place on April 27 and April 30, respectively, authorities arrested 60 protesters.
Most of these people were released without charge the same day. On the other hand, the authorities are relying on repressive laws to persecute dozens of peaceful demonstrators by invoking in particular “undermining national unity”, “undermining the national interest”, “Incitement to an unarmed rally”, “contempt of state representatives” or even “contempt of the President of the Republic”, as they had done from the birth of the Hirak, in February 2019.
الجزائر Peaceful demonstrations dispersed by force
On April 27, a student demonstration in central of Algeria was dispersed by police, who prevented people from reaching the assembly point and arrested dozens of peaceful protesters.
Hassen Mebtouche told Amnesty International that he marched with other people to the Place des Martyrs, a rallying point for weekly demonstrations, to which many police officers blocked access.
Four police officers then grabbed him and unceremoniously pushed him into a van containing 10 other people. Taken to the Rouiba police station, he was detained for six hours and was asked to sign a declaration in which he undertook not to demonstrate again. Another protester also arrested on April 27 said people in the same case had to sign similar declarations, urging them “not to demonstrate on Tuesdays and Fridays.”
During the April 30 demonstration, police illegally used force to disperse crowds in Algiers. Three demonstrators told Amnesty International that police officers attacked people demonstrating peacefully with batons to dissuade them from assembling. Human rights defender Zaki Hannache denounced his attack by police near the University of Algiers. “Three policemen came to ask us to leave. I told them I was leaving and that I wasn’t going to run. I was still beaten with batons in the face and body. “
Journalist Anis Chelouche told Amnesty International that police beat him with batons while covering the protests, causing bruises on his arms and legs. He had shown them his press card, but it seemed that only heightened their anger. A police officer told him not to post any videos showing blood on social media.
Alarming footage filmed during the April 30 protest circulating online shows police beating and dragging protesters on the ground. In one of the videos , a police cordon advances towards a group of demonstrators to push them back. While these people put up no resistance, the police launched a charge with batons, forcing them to flee.
