ARTICLE 19 urges the Algerian Ministry of the Interior, Local Authorities and Regional Planning to abandon the measures recently undertaken against the peaceful demonstrations in Algeria. In an environment already hostile to the right to demonstrate and freedom of expression, the new requirements for prior declaration of protests present a worrying measure by the authorities to further silence critics.
On May 09, 2021, the Ministry of the Interior published an official statement in which it states that “ the organizers of the marches are required to declare, to the competent services, the names of those responsible for the organization of the march and hours of its beginning and its end ”, affirming that the non-respect of these procedures “deprives the march of any legal character[1]’’.
At a time when the authorities crack down on protesters and journalists by making dozens of arrests, these measures remain a serious restriction on the right to demonstrate. The National Committee for the Liberation of Detainees (CNLD) has recorded at least 350 arrests of demonstrators, journalists and activists since February 2021. They are arrested for simply having participated peacefully in Hirak. Some of them spent more than a week in prison before being released and most remain in pre-trial detention or under judicial supervision.[2]. On May 14, authorities also arrested at least 15 journalists covering protests in downtown Algiers, but all were released later today.[3].
The Algerian government’s latest efforts to narrow the space for protest and dissent appear as a direct response to recent protests criticizing the government itself, as well as an additional tool the government is using to silence the government. movement of the Hirak. The use of prior declaration to suppress the right to protest constitutes a flagrant violation of human rights standards, and the ministry must withdraw this requirement immediately, ”said Saloua Ghazouani, director of ARTICLE 19 MENA.
States should only resort to the prior declaration of demonstrations when it is essential for their planning and facilitation and not for spontaneous demonstrations, like the student marches in Algeria. The latter should be exempted from this rule. The prior declaration of details such as “slogans” to be used during demonstrations violates the freedoms of expression and demonstration. These require that any restriction must be justified and necessary in order to achieve a legitimate objective – where appropriate, a prior declaration is only a tool allowing the authorities to suppress specific types of demonstration.
The objectives of the Hirak movement are the guarantee of rights and freedoms in their entirety. And the government must respect the will of the people to demonstrate peacefully to make them come true. Asking protesters to file a prior request with details such as the slogans they will carry presents a clear violation of this freedom, especially in an atmosphere hostile in Algeria for freedom of expression.
ARTICLE 19 remains concerned about the escalation of repression in Algeria. Security forces must stop arresting protesters and journalists covering the protests, and must not use force against activists who peacefully defend their rights. We urge the authorities to withdraw the administrative note published by the Directorate of Regulation of General Affairs and Litigation for the Algerian State Security Chief allowing him to deploy the force from May 8 to June 7 to stop the protesters.
ARTICLE 19 joins calls from members of regional and national civil society for condemnation[4] the serious deterioration of the situation of human rights, individual and collective freedoms and the unprecedented worsening of the repression against Hirak activists and journalists. In particular Said Boudour, Jamila Loukil and the president of the office of the Algerian League for Human Rights in Oran, Kaddour Chouicha, incriminated for allegations of terrorism[5].
“The situation in Algeria is very alarming. Fundamental freedoms continue to be violated. The reasons why the Algerian people came out to demonstrate are still relevant today. The new government has done little to break with the approach of the previous dictatorship. On the contrary, repression is hardening, human rights are muzzled, public space is closed. We call on the government to reverse this trend and listen to the concerns of the people, instead of trying to silence them, ”Ghazouani added.
[1] ALGERIE PRESSE SERVICE, ‘Organization of marches: The Ministry of the Interior recalls the imperative to respect legal procedures’, May 9, 2021. Available on the link: https://www.aps.dz/algerie/121578-organisation-de-marches-le-ministere-de-l-interieur-rappelle-l-imperatif-respect-des-procedures-legales
[2] LIBERTE ALGERIE, ‘Ihsane placed under judicial control, Khattou tried on May 25’, May 18, 2021. Available at: https://www.liberte-algerie.com/actualite/ihsane-place-sous-controle-judiciaire-khattou-jugee-le-25-mai-358944
[3] THE COMMITTEE FOR THE PROTECTION OF JOURNALISTS, “ Algerian police arrest at least 16 journalists, reporter Kenza Khattou remains in detention ”, May 17, 2021. Available at: https://cpj.org/2021/05/algerian-police-arrest-at-least-16-journalists-reporter-kenza-khattou-remains-in-detention/
[4] INTERLINES, ” LADDH denounces the “unprecedented” worsening of repression in Algeria ”, May 11, 2021. available at: https://www.inter-lignes.com/la-laddh-denonce-laggravation-sans-precedent-de-la-repression-en-algerie/
[5] INTERLINES, “The terrorism charges against Boudour, Chouicha and Loukil“ constitute a dangerous escalation ”, May 8, 2021. Available at: https://www.inter-lignes.com/les-accusations-de-terrorisme-portees-contre-boudour-chouicha-et-loukil-constituent-une-dangereuse-escalade/
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