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Doha – The Sahara Observatory for Peace, Democracy and Human Rights has strongly condemned the arbitrary executions carried out against young people detained in the Tindouf camps.
In a statement reported by Maghreb Arab Press Agency on Saturday, the Observatory denounced the violations of the right to life of the population in the Tindouf camps, holding the state of Algeria and the leaders of the separatist Polisario Front responsible for these crimes.
The statement noted that in total disregard of concerns expressed by international organizations and UN reports, including the report of the UN Secretary-General, about the recurrence of these crimes, Algerian forces proceeded to execute three young civilians detained in the Tindouf camps. The slain youth hailed from the Dakhla camp near the “Gâra Djebilet” mine south of Tindouf, added the statement.
The Observatory called for the perpetrators of these violations to be brought to justice in accordance with international human rights law and international humanitarian law, stressing that these crimes can be prosecuted at any time, no matter how long ago they were committed. It also called on Algeria to conduct an urgent and impartial investigation into the circumstances of these crimes and to determine responsibilities.
The Observatory expressed regret at the Algerian army’s continued targeting and killing of young people detained in the Tindouf camps, who do not pose any threat to security and public order. It argued that these cases can be classified as systematic killings that have been repeatedly committed over successive decades in the Tindouf camps.
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The Observatory confirmed that it had received many files of victims of extrajudicial killings, or summary or arbitrary executions by Algerian security forces against the detained population in the Tindouf camps, noting that the victims were killed either by being shot or burned to death.
Recalling that the right to life is guaranteed under Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Observatory pointed out that exceptional circumstances, including a state of war or threat of war, internal political instability, or any other state of emergency, may not be invoked to justify extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions.
It also denounced Algerian authorities’ continued implementation of executions without any judicial or legal procedure, noting that the state of Algeria is obligated, under international law, to investigate violations and arbitrary executions committed against the youth of the Tindouf camps.
Any failure by Algeria to investigate these executions constitutes a violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Observatory concluded.
