“The regime has intensified its repressive policy against the Hirak. We have recently witnessed attempts at intimidation targeting activists who are the beating heart of the Hirak. We must all denounce these practices which constitute a deviation,” they protested at a press conference.
According to Me Abdeghani Badi, “justice is involved in the confiscation of the fundamental rights of citizens, guaranteed by the Constitution.”
“The Hirak is criminalized even though it is enshrined in the Constitution,” he further denounced, recalling that 156 prisoners of conscience are still languishing in Algerian jails for acts linked to the Hirak or individual freedoms.
The lawyer stressed that Algerians, who are experiencing a “revolutionary process”, do not need to agree favorably to the request of the Ministry of the Interior which imposed a declaration to authorize the Hirak marches in Algiers.
For his part, Me Mustapha Bouchachi expressed his indignation at the continuing deterioration of the human rights situation.
For him, “the situation is serious” and “public opinion, the political class, associations, the media and unions, he says, must be kept informed of these actions and practices which mobilize an entire security force against citizens.”
“Since May 7, we have been witnessing systematic and planned dangerous excesses against Algerians, in Algiers and in several cities in the country,” he regretted.
“The responsibility for these arrests, carried out outside the law, lies with the highest authority of the State which gives its instructions to the police,” he explained.
“We have recorded serious violations of citizens’ rights behind closed doors over the past two weeks,” he lashed out, referring to “arbitrary” arrests of citizens, sometimes in the street in Algiers, while the inhabitants of Kabylie are almost forbidden from accessing the capital, particularly on the day of weekly demonstrations, and arrested in a “discriminatory” manner.
“The arrests, carried out by the security forces, on the orders of the regime, are illegal (…). The judicial and security apparatus is at the service of a dictatorial regime,” he denounced, noting that “only the regime is responsible” for this situation.
Faced with the violations of human rights, Mr Bouchachi launched a “distress appeal” and urged the political class and unions to denounce “unpunished” practices.
According to him, this repression of the Hirak demonstrations is accompanied by a media blackout.
The former president of the Algerian League for the Defense of Human Rights also deemed the remote trials of prisoners of conscience, decided by the authorities because of the health crisis, to be “unconstitutional.”
For her part, Me Nabila Smaïl reported “serious excesses and violations” of the fundamental rights and collective and individual freedoms of Algerians.
“We are living in a perilous situation. The regime is using the judicial system to repress Algerians who aspire to exercise their rights, which are nevertheless guaranteed by the Constitution. Justice has become a danger for the State,” she warned.
In terms of human rights violations, the lawyer cited the “arbitrary” arrests during the Hirak demonstrations and the recent requisition of the Wali of Algiers to the police to repress the demonstrations of the popular movement.
“However, there is no disturbance of public order,” she argued, calling on citizens who are victims of police violence or attacks on their freedoms to file a complaint.
The speaker described as “catastrophic” the state of health of prisoners of conscience, whose number continues to increase, and they are deprived, according to her, of the right to a basket.
According to the latest count by the National Committee for the Liberation of Prisoners and the Algerian League for the Defense of Human Rights, 175 prisoners are currently in prison.
As the legislative elections approach, the authorities continue to target political opponents, activists, journalists and Internet users, increasing the number of legal proceedings and convictions.
2024-09-13 23:40:30