The peaceful protest movement Hirak, which began in 2019 calling for radical political change in Algeria, continues, although protests have been curtailed since March 2020 due to COVID-19 restriction measures.
The country went into a national lockdown in response to COVID-19 from 4 April until June; since then, the lifting of restrictions has been gradual.. In February 2021, the National Syndicate of Liberal Doctors reported that at least 157 doctors had died as a result of COVID-19, and almost all of them had contracted the disease.
In April, Parliament adopted the Preventing and Combating Discrimination and Hate Speech Law, which includes a penalty of up to 10 years’ imprisonment for those who breach it. However, the Law failed to refer to discrimination based on religion, sexuality or gender identity.
In November, a new Constitution was adopted by referendum that saw a very low turnout due to controversy over the process. The Constitution improved language on women’s rights and social and economic rights, but maintained the death penalty and fell short of international standards on freedoms of expression, assembly and judicial independence.
The authorities continue to detain and prosecute peaceful protesters, journalists, activists and citizens for exercising their rights to peaceful assembly and expression relating to the mass protest movement known as Hirak. Legislative changes continue to impose further restrictions on freedoms of expression and association, by imposing heavy criminal sanctions for spreading “fake news” and for receiving certain types of foreign funds. A new Constitution was adopted in 2020, which improved protection for women but imposed undue restrictions on rights and freedoms by making the exercise of freedom of speech conditional on religious and cultural values. The authorities continue to prevent Christian churches from operating and harass members of the Ahmadiyya religious community. They also continue to proceed with mass and arbitrary expulsions of migrants. Discrimination against women in law and practice continues, as does gender-based violence and femicide. Consensual same-sex sexual relations remain criminalized and several arrests were made in 2020. The right to form trade unions remains restricted.
The international community’s chilling complacency towards wide-scale human rights violations in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) has emboldened governments to commit appalling violations during 2018 by giving them …
The Algerian authorities must end their relentless efforts to silence peaceful protesters, said Amnesty International ahead of the start of the trial tomorrow of four protesters from the southern city of Ouargla who are facing up to a year in prison for taking part in protests against unemployment in Algeria’s oil capital, Hassi Messaoud.
On the launch of its 2015 State of the World report, Amnesty International USA urged President Obama to use his last year in office to bring U.S. laws and policies in line with international human rights standards.
International protection of human rights is in danger of unravelling as short-term national self-interest and draconian security crackdowns have led to a wholesale assault on basic freedoms and rights, warned Amnesty International as it launched its annual assessment of human rights around the world. “Your rights are in jeopardy: they are being treated with utter contempt by many governments around the world,” said Salil Shetty, Secretary General of Amnesty International.
International protection of human rights is in danger of unravelling as short-term national self-interest and draconian security crackdowns have led to a wholesale assault on basic freedoms and rights, warned Amnesty International as it launched its annual assessment of human rights around the world. “Your rights are in jeopardy: they are being treated with utter contempt by many governments around the world,” said Salil Shetty, Secretary General of Amnesty International.
This has been a devastating year for those seeking to stand up for human rights and for those caught up in the suffering of war zones. Governments pay lip service to the importance of protecting civilians. And yet the world's politicians have miserably failed to protect those in greatest need. Amnesty International believes that this can and must finally change.
People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria Head of state Abdelaziz Bouteflika Head of government Abdelmalek Sellal (replaced Ahmed Ouyahia in September) The authorities continued to restrict freedoms of expression, association and …
The conviction of an activist in Algeria after he distributed leaflets about unemployment in the country is a worrying sign that a new law regulating associations is being used to restrict civil society groups’ activities, Amnesty International said.
Head of state: Abdelaziz Bouteflika Head of government: Ahmed Ouyahiya Death penalty: abolitionist in practice Population: 35.4 million Life expectancy: 72.9 years Under-5 mortality (m/f): 35/31 per 1,000 Adult literacy: …
Amnesty International Media StatementFor Immediate ReleaseFriday, April 8, 2011 State Department Human Rights Reports Provide Roadmap to Reform in the Middle East, Says Amnesty International Contact: Gwen Fitzgerald, 202.509.8194, [email protected] …