CRES\001\11\2015: RESOLUTION ON THE HUMAN RIGHTS ON THE SITUATION IN ALGERIA

We, the participants of the Forum on the Participation of NGOs in the 57^thOrdinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the 31^st African Human Rights Book fair held in Banjul, The Gambia from 31^st October–2^nd November 2015;

Considering the provisions of the AU Constitutive Act, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and other regional and international human rights treaties to which the Government of Algeria is a contracting party;

Reaffirming the primary responsibility of the Government of Algeria to promote and protect human rights and basic freedoms in the country ;

Concerned about the deteriorating situation of human rights in Algeria, through repressive laws and policies that continue to be deployed to curtail civil society, including the work of human rights organizations;

Deeply concerned about serious attacks against human rights defenders, journalists, lawyers and trade unionists, including arrest, arbitrary detention for prolonged periods, and widespread use of torture and other forms of ill-treatment in detention facilities;

The NGOs Forum calls upon the African Commission to :

• Call upon the Government of Algeria  to ensure the right to a fair trial for human rights defenders, journalists and activists, including for detained activists Kameleddine Fekhar and Hacen Bouras, and to allow international observers to attend court hearings in order to ensure transparency.

• Call upon the Government of Algeria to allow national HR NGOs and the ICRC to visit prisons and  detention facilities in order to ensure medical assistance and humane treatment for detainees

• Urge the Government of Algeria to ensure the right to freedom of association, by amending the association law (law 12-06 of 2012)

• Implore the Government of Algeria to ensure the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, by stopping the wave of arrests against activists, for exercising their constitutional rights, and amending the relevant laws, particularly the law on information, the law on public meetings and demonstrations (law 91-19 of 1991), and the penal code.

Done in Banjul, The Gambia – 2^nd November 2015