Algerian authorities have maintained their repression of civic space by continuing their brutal crackdown on human rights including the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association in the run up to the country’s presidential elections scheduled to be held on 7 September, said Amnesty International today.

Over the past two years authorities have also introduced a series of alarming legal amendments as well as new legislation that has dealt a heavy blow to human rights, most notably amendments made to the penal code in April 2024.

“In recent years Algeria has experienced a steady erosion of human rights through the authorities’ dissolution of political parties, civil society organizations and independent media outlets, alongside a spike in arbitrary arrests and prosecutions using trumped-up terrorism charges. Alarmingly, this reality has remained bleak in the run up to the elections,” said Amjad Yamin, Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa.

“Algerian authorities have cemented their clampdown on civic space with the adoption of a series of deeply flawed amendments to the penal code and new pieces of legislation that have wide repercussions for the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association. This only further illustrates the authorities’ commitment to maintaining a zero-tolerance approach towards dissenting opinions.

“The authorities must end their ongoing repressive crackdown, immediately release those arrested solely for peacefully exercising their human rights and ensure people’s rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association in the country are protected.”

Over the past month the authorities have continued to harass and intimidate political opposition activists. On 6 August a member of the suspended political party the Democratic and Social Movement (MDS), political activist Yacine Mekireche, was arbitrarily arrested in relation to his social media posts on Facebook. At least 60 political activists, most of them from the political party the Rally for Culture and Democracy (RCD) were arrested on 20 August as they attempted to commemorate the first congress of the National Liberation Front (FLN) of August 1956 (the Soummam congress).

Algerian authorities have also continued to restrict the space for the exercise of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association by civil society activists and other people through arbitrary arrests and interrogations. On 29 June police disrupted a book signing event at a bookstore in the city of Bejaia, ordering the closure of the shop and arresting all those attending for participating in an unauthorized gathering.

On two consecutive occasions authorities on 29 February and 9 March 2024 also prevented the Algerian NGO, SOS Disappeared, from holding two separate human rights events on the organization’s premises. In both instances large numbers of police surrounded the association’s offices blocking access to it and turning away people due to attend.

Algerian authorities have persisted in using bogus terrorism charges to silence peaceful dissent, including calls for political change. Authorities have unjustly held activist and poet Mohamed Tadjadit in pre-trial detention since January 2024 under such charges.

Algerian authorities further introduced multiple legal amendments to the penal code in April 2024 as well as a set of legislation related to media activity in August and December 2023 and amendments on legislation related to money laundering and the financing of terrorism in February 2023, in a clear setback for the right to freedom of expression.

Authorities have continued to clamp down on journalists through arbitrary detention and prosecutions, arbitrary restrictions on their right to freedom of movement and unfounded sanctions imposed on media outlets.

The recent arrests and restrictions on the right to freedom of movement faced by journalists Merzoug Touati, Mustapha Bendjama and Farid Alilat illustrate the lack of space for independent media activity, while social media users and civil society activists like Rabeh Kadri continue to be prosecuted simply for their online activity, including for comments expressing opposition to a second term for President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.

The Algerian authorities’ ongoing infringement of the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association and media freedom has contributed to a climate of fear and censorship in the country.

According to the UN Human Rights Committee, the full enjoyment of the right to take part in the conduct of public affairs requires the open sharing of information and ideas about public and political issues as well as the respect for the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association.