Algérie.Les forces de sécurité algériennes doivent s'abstenir de recourir à la force illégale pour disperser les personnes qui manifestent pour appeler à un changement politique radical et que les autorités libèrent les plus de 60 militants du Hirak (Mouvement du Sud) qui continuent de croupir en prison pour avoir participé à des manifestations, Amnesty International a déclaré avant les manifestations prévues pour le 7 mai.
Depuis que le Hirak a repris ses manifestations hebdomadaires en février, après les avoir interrompues pendant près d'un an en raison de la pandémie de COVID-19, les autorités ont réprimé les manifestations à Alger, la capitale, et dans d'autres villes. , en particulier en dispersant par la force des rassemblements pacifiques, en battant des manifestants et en procédant à des arrestations collectives.
“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.
Algérie Manifestations pacifiques dispersées par la force
Le 27 avril, une manifestation étudiante dans le centre de l'Algérie a été dispersée par la police, qui a empêché les gens d'atteindre le point de rassemblement et arrêté des dizaines de manifestants pacifiques..
Hassen Mebtouche a déclaré à Amnesty International qu'il avait marché avec d'autres personnes sur la place des Martyrs, point de rassemblement pour des manifestations hebdomadaires, à laquelle de nombreux policiers ont bloqué l'accès.
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.
Des images alarmantes filmées lors de la manifestation du 30 avril et circulant en ligne montrent des policiers battant et traînant des manifestants au sol. Dans l'une des vidéos, un cordon de police avance vers un groupe de manifestants pour les repousser. Alors que ces personnes n'ont opposé aucune résistance, la police a lancé une charge avec des matraques, les forçant à fuir.