The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information announced its solidarity with the Algerain rights’ activist “Abdul-Qadar Kharabah”, who began a hunger strike since Thursday 21, 2012 after being imprisoned due to participation in a peaceful demonstration to denounce the permanent water cuts.
On lat Tuesday, the Algerian police forces arrested the rights’ activist “Kharabah”,the member of the Algerian Coalition for Defending the Human Rights and the member of the national committee to defend the unemployed, during participation in a peaceful demonstration in his city of “Qasr El-Boukhari” in the province of “Madiah” because of the repeated water cuts. He was arrested after he attempts to photograph the demonstrations in front of the national foundation for water, as he refused the request of the police forces to stop shooting. Then the judiciary police arrested him and presented before the district attorney on the same day at night. They pressed charges of “insulting an official during performing his duty” against him. He was sent to a temporary jail in the prison of “El-Qasar” until appears before the court on August 28, 2012. “Kharabah” is facing a jail penalty ranges from 2 months up to 2 years and a fine could reach “a million dinars” “10.000 EUR”.
In addition to, Kharabah will appear before the Algerian court of appeal on September 8, 2012 to plead against the issued judgment on the coming May. The court issued a judgment of a year imprisonment against him and a fine of 20 thousands dinars (200 EUR) because of charges of “inciting on assembling and impersonate third parties” due to participation in a protest of clerks who are on a strike.
ANHRI said that “the arbitrary arrest to the rights’ activist and pressing false charges against him are a serious and clear violation to the freedom of opinion and expression as well as the right to peaceful demonstration. It also proves the attempt of the Algerian authorities to harass the human rights activists whether through pressing false charges against them with a suspend which is the latest methods to harass the oppositions and the activists”.
ANHRI calls for the immediate release of “Kharabah” and to drop all the charges against him, which are only for expressing his opinion and participating in a peaceful demonstration, which is a basic right for the individuals and stipulated in all the international covenants and treaties.