Holiday Card Action 2006


Algeria – Hassiba Boumerdesi & Amine Sidhoum
Hassiba Boumerdesi and Amine Sidhoum

Hassiba Boumerdesi and Amine Sidhoum, both human rights lawyers, face trumped-up charges that may lead to their imprisonment and to their suspension as practicing lawyers. The two have documented and opposed torture and unfair trials of people accused of terrorism and have worked with organizations of families of the ‘disappeared’. In August 2006, authorities accused Ms. Boumerdesi and Mr. Sidhoum of bringing prohibited items into prison without permission from authorities.

Hassiba Boumerdesi, a married mother of three children, is accused of giving a detainee the minutes of a court hearing pertaining to his case. She has stated that her client is entitled to this document and that she obtained authorization from prison personnel before passing it on. Amine Sidhoum has been accused of passing his business card to detained clients. Amnesty International is concerned that the lawyers are being prosecuted for activities which they carried out legally and in the interest of assisting their clients. By seeking to criminalize the passing of legal documents and contact details, authorities diminish the ability of lawyers to offer their clients an effective defense.

Amnesty International believes that Algerian authorities are using these court cases against Hassiba Boumerdesi and Amine Sidhoum to intimidate them and discourage them from carrying out their human rights work.

Please send cards of support to:

Hassiba Boumerdesi
13 rue Abane Ramdane
Algiers
ALGERIA

Amine Sidhoum
15 rue Abane Ramdane
Algiers
ALGERIA