96 Algerian Human Rights Defenders Banned from Attending World Social Forum in Tunis

The undersigned organisations* condemn the arbitrary decision to prevent a delegation of human rights activists and independent union members from leaving Algeria to attend the 13^th World Social Forum, taking place in Tunis on 26-30 March. The delegation has been blocked at the Layoun border crossing (Wilaya of Tebessa) since Monday morning, 25 March. This travel ban is a clear violation of the rights to the freedoms of movement, assembly and association guaranteed by articles 12, 21 and 22 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which has been ratified by Algeria.

On 25 March, a delegation made up of 96 human rights activists from SOS Disparus, the Algerian Human Rights Defence League (Ligue Algérienne de Défense des Droits de l’Homme, LADDH) and the National Committee for the Defence of the Unemployed (Comité National pour la défense des droits des chômeurs,  CNDDC), as well as members of the National Independent Union of Public Servants (Syndicat National Autonome du Personnel de l’Administration Publique, SNAPAP) arrived at the Tébessa border control station around 3 o’clock in the morning. After waiting for almost six hours in the cold morning, with no access to toilets and unable to obtain food, delegation members were finally informed by the border police that they were prohibited from leaving Algeria, even though they all had valid passports. In response to the activists’ questions and objections, the border police could only invoke “orders” they had received to justify this decision. A small group of delegation members who tried to cross the border at Souk-Ahras were also prevented from leaving Algeria.

At the moment, the delegation is still awaiting permission to cross the border and finally travel to Tunis to take part in the World Social Forum.

In addition, Hacene Ferhati, a human rights activist and member of SOS Disparu(e)s, has again been prevented by Algerian border police (Police Algérienne des Frontières, PAF) from leaving the country at the Houari Boumedienne international airport today, as he attempted to travel to Tunis. Members of the Socialist Forces Front (Front des Forces Socialistes, FFS) who were also at the airport were allowed to travel abroad. The police refused to explain why Mr Ferhati was not allowed to leave the country.

Our organisations note that this is not the first time the Algerian authorities have blocked access to a social forum. In 2010, permission to hold the Maghreb Union Social Forum in Algiers was denied. More recently, in February 2013, the organisation of a new Maghreb Union Social Forum was again thwarted by a police crackdown against Algerian and foreign unemployed workers.[1]

Our organisations condemn this violation of the freedom of movement of Algerian independent union members and human rights defenders, which is an attempt to isolate and weaken Algerian civil society. Accordingly, our organisations call upon the Algerian government:

–        To lift immediately the ban against the Algerian delegation leaving the country and allow it to travel to Tunisia to attend the World Social Forum;

–        To guarantee the rights to freedom of movement, assembly and association, in compliance with the Algerian Constitution, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as other regional and international human rights instruments that Algeria has ratified.