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Rabat – The Rome Bar Association has called on the Italian government to intervene in the human rights violations and put an end to “barbarism” in Algeria.
The association has stressed that it is deeply concerned about “the authoritarian drift of the Algerian regime denounced by Amnesty International.”
In a statement, the Rome Bar Association called for the release of political prisoners, noting that Algeria has sentenced one leader of a political party to two years in prison for expressing his opinions against repression in the country.
The Italian institution stressed that over 40 people, who are detained for crimes of opinion and defense of human rights in Algeria, have been on hunger strike since January 28.
The detained activists started the hunger strike to protest against the deteriorating human rights situation, especially Article 87 of the Algerian Penal Code on the basis of which they are accused of “terrorism.”
The Algerian Penal Code states that certain crimes defined as terrorist acts in article 87bis are punishable by death where ordinary law provides life imprisonment (art.87bis1), for possession and preparation, import and export of explosives (art.87bis7).
According to Amnesty International, there are at least 251 people currently detained in Algeria “for exercising their rights to peaceful protest and freedom of expression.”
The Rome Bar further noted, “The unfair deprivation of liberty also results in inhuman treatment, torture and degrading acts to which detainees are subjected,” while denouncing the “repression of the Algerian regime to all forms of opposition and freedom of expression.”
It also condemned Algiers’ criminalization of peaceful protests as well as the illegal and abusive use of “terrorim” accusations as a political tool to restrain individual freedoms.
The Rome Bar Association further expressed solidarity with all illegally detained human rights activists and urged the Algerian government to end the political repression against its people. It called for the release of human rights activists who are being detained for voicing their political opinions or engaging in social or political activism.
The Italian association concluded by urging the Italian government, especially the parliament, to “pay close attention to what is happening in Algeria and to not to abandon those who fight for human rights, for the freedom of Algerian citizens detained unfairly, and to firmly support Algerian civil society.”
In December 2021, Marie Arena, a member of the European Parliament, expressed concerns over the health condition of Algerian activist Abdullah Benaoum.
Benaoum was detained after participating in a peaceful demonstration in December 2019 and is expected to serve a jail time until at least May 2023.
Despite undergoing a heart surgery in 2020, Algerian authorities refused to give him a conditional release.
Benaoum’s case is one of many human rights defenders who are still serving jail time in Algeria.
Read Also: EU Parliament Member Worried Over Health Condition of Detained Algerian Activist
