Brussels, 10/06/2015 (Agence Europe) - The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN) has “commended” the EU for taking over the EMHRN's concerns at the EU-Algeria Association Council on Thursday 4 June. These concerns are about flagrant abuses of the right of association and union freedom in Algeria - concerns that EMHRN had expressed in a letter to the Council of the EU well before this meeting.
In its letter, EMHRN recalled the issue of “enforced disappearances in Algeria in the 1990s” which were highlighted by the UN Human Rights Committee, and also the adoption by the European Parliament of a resolution calling on the Algerian authorities “to ensure the safety and security of civil society activists and human rights defenders and their freedom to pursue their legitimate and peaceful activities”.
These warnings were nevertheless not passed on at the formal press conference, nor raised publicly by High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini. Indeed they were only passed on to a few Algerian journalists at an additional press conference, accompanied by a dispatch from the official press agency in Algiers targeting Algerian public opinion. Algeria's Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra asserted his country's “sovereign” right and rejected any European interference.
EMHRN underlines in its letter that “the crackdown on independent union leaders is being stepped up in Algeria” and that “although the state of emergency was lifted in 2011, the unauthorised - peaceful - demonstrations continue to be considered as illegal assemblies”. In particular, “union leaders and human rights defenders in Algeria are subject to threats, physical and verbal attacks, and judicial harassment aiming to hinder their activities (…) This type of harassment aims to dissuade critical voices within civil society in a context where demonstrations are multiplying which aim to attract the attention of local authorities to different economic, social and environmental claims. Nine labour rights demonstrators are held in prison in the town of Laghouat”.
Furthermore, EMHRN points out the red tape suffered by some 100,000 associations in Algeria and it states that in addition to the “very restrictive arrangements” of the new law on associations (…) there are the abusive practices of the administration. EMHRN highlights that “currently, the Algerian League for the Defence of Human Rights (LADDH), the Youth Action Movement (RAJ) and the Algerian section of Amnesty International, which have submitted their file for compliance, have still not obtained a receipt certifying their legal existence. The lack of receipt potentially exposes them to administrative and financial problems”.
While it “welcomed” the adoption of a new law amending the criminal code on women's rights on 5 March, EMHRN “highlights that one provision authorises the woman who has survived acts of domestic violence to forgive the perpetrator of the deeds. Women therefore further risk being victims of violence or threats for withdrawing their complaint”.
Another issue of concern is the fate reserved for migrants transiting Algeria: “the lack of an adequate framework for hosting these people and guaranteeing the respect of their rights is becoming increasingly problematic”. EMHRN underlines that “the difficulties met by the migrant communities and refugees confine these people to situations of insecurity and exclusion, which favours the emergence of an unfavourable political climate - indeed a xenophobic one - towards them”. The multiplication of acts of racist violence is all the more of concern as its benefits from total impunity, which is criticised by the civil society organisations that are members of EMHRN in Algeria. (our translation throughout) (Fathi B'Chir)