Human rights activist barred from Algeria, conference banned

[Al-khiyal]

The National Association of Missing Persons Families (ANFD), and three other associations, namely SOS Disparus, Jazairouna and Soumoud, have condemned the government decision not to allow Chilean human rights activist and lawyer Roberto Garreton to enter Algeria.

In a joint statement, the aforementioned associations explained that the Chilean human rights activist was invited to take part in a conference staged by missing persons families and terrorism families associations, on February 7 and 8, entitled “For Truth, Peace and Reconciliation”. The Chilean lawyer is a transitory justice expert, assistant in the International Centre for Transitory Justice and UN Special Envoy on the human rights situation in Democratic Republic of Congo. He is a supporter of Algerian human rights associations.

The statement co-signatories associations described the Algerian authorities’ response as “a non respect for Algerian fundamental law”, adding: “The Algerian government shows, once again, its resoluteness to isolate Algerian people from the international community while it is displaying proudly its opening up to the world”.

Human rights activist barred from Algeria

[Al-khiyal]

ALGIERS, Algeria: Police broke up a seminar Wednesday that aimed to discuss the darker chapters of Algeria's longtime conflict between Islamic radicals and the military-backed government, organizers said.

Five associations — representing both victims of terror attacks and those believed to have been killed or kidnapped by security forces during the insurgency — had planned the seminar under the title "For Truth, Peace and Conciliation."

But upon arrival at an Algiers hotel where they had hired a private room for the seminar, organizers found dozens of police.

Police physically blocked some participants from entering the hotel, participants said. Others got in but found that the lights and power had been cut in the room where the seminar was planned.

"They wanted at all costs to prevent the associations from meeting," said Lila Iril, of the National Association of Families of the Disappeared.

The Interior Ministry had no immediate comment.

The groups said they had alerted authorities to the seminar from the outset. The head of a national human rights body, who was appointed by President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, had been expected to attend.

"No ministry responded to us to say that we did not have the right to hold this meeting," said Cherifa Kheddar of the group Djazair Iruna, which represents families of victims of terrorism.

International experts invited to talk about reconciliation efforts in countries including Chile and South Africa were not granted visas or were prevented from entering the country, organizers said.

Algeria's civil conflict began in 1992 after the military canceled the country's first multiparty elections to prevent a likely victory by the hard-line Islamic Salvation Front. Up to 200,000 people died in the violence that followed, pitting security forces against Islamic rebels.

In 2005, Algerian voters approved a peace plan — the Charter for Peace and National Reconciliation — that the government says has helped restore national unity. The plan included a broad amnesty for militants and compensation for some victims' families.

But the charter has drawn criticism from human rights groups because of clauses limiting open discussion of the conflict.

The International Federation for Human Rights in Paris denounced the decision to block Wednesday's seminar, noting that it came a day after nearly 60 nations — including Algeria — signed an international treaty banning forced disappearances.

"Yesterday, the Algerian justice minister was at our sides (in Paris) to sign the convention on forced disappearances," federation president Sidiki Kaba said in a statement. "Today, it's a real snub. Does the signature have no value in their eyes?"

Algerian police break up conference seeking to shed light on insurgency

[Al-khiyal]

ALGIERS • Algerian police barred yesterday a meeting of five human rights groups trying to promote reconciliation after the country’s years of violence, saying the activists had no permission to gather.

The Algerian groups, which had sought to hold the gathering despite failing to obtain a permit for the planned two-date debate, denounced the police action as undemocratic.

Under a state of emergency that has been in force since 1992, public gatherings of all kinds need official permission.

“You can’t enter to attend the seminar. Stay outside,” one of about 20 uniformed and plainclothes police told about 20 activists and reporters at the Mercure Hotel in Algiers.

Rights groups often meet to discuss reconciliation at the Algerian branch offices of foreign think-tanks such as Germany’s Friedrich-Ebert Foundation, but this was the first time in years the groups had sought to debate the issue in a public place.

Many Algerians are still traumatised by the conflict, in which 200,000 people, mostly civilians, were killed in clashes between the authorities and Islamist insurgents.

The insurgency began in 1992 after the authorities cancelled legislative elections that a radical Islamist party was poised to win. The authorities had feared an Iranian-style revolution.

Under an amnesty implemented in February 2006, the security services won blanket immunity from prosecution while more than 2,000 former Islamist fighters walked free from prison.

A police officer at the Mercure said: “There are conditions to be filled to organise a public event. The number one condition is to get the approval from the authorities. These associations did not have the official green light.”

The activists denounced the police action. “In a democracy, we should be allowed to express ourselves. Not allowing us to gather today means one thing, Algeria is a dictatorship,” said Ighil Lila from the National Association of the Families of the Disappeared said.

The five groups included one representing families who lost loved ones in attacks by armed Islamist groups and another representing those whose relatives disappeared after being arrested by security forces.

The government estimates the disappeared number 7,000, but independent human rights say the number is much higher.

Souhayr Belhassem, a Tunisian activist who had been invited to take part, said it was ironic that Algeria was one of about 60 countries that signed the International Convention on Enforced Disapearances at a ceremony in Paris only on Tuesday.

Algeria bars meeting of rights groups

[Al-khiyal]

Authorities ban conference

[Al-khiyal]

Une réunion sur les disparitions forcées de la «sale guerre» a été interdite par la police:

La coïncidence n'était pas fortuite. Au lendemain de la signature à Paris de la convention internationale contre les disparitions forcées, les associations de familles de disparus devaient tenir un colloque international «Pour la vérité, la paix et la conciliation» les 7 et 8 février dans un grand hôtel d'Alger. Signataire de cette convention, les autorités algériennes ont interdit manu militari ce séminaire après avoir tout fait pour rendre sa tenue impossible. Plusieurs experts internationaux n'ont ainsi pas obtenu l'autorisation d'entrer sur le territoire. A commencer par le Français Louis Joinet et le Chilien Roberto Garretón, qui s'est vu signifier l'interdiction d'entrer dans le pays par l'ambassadeur d'Algérie à Santiago après avoir obtenu son visa...

Bougies. Au jour dit, le 7 février, les organisateurs n'avaient toujours pas reçu de réponse à la demande d'autorisation adressée deux mois plus tôt aux ministères concernés. Mais trois policiers montaient la garde dès 8 heures devant l'entrée de l'hôtel pour en interdire l'entrée aux participants et aux journalistes, pendant que des policiers filmaient et prenaient des photos. «Comme au bon vieux temps», remarque le quotidien francophone El Watan. La présidente d'une association, qui tentait de forcer le passage, a été violemment jetée dehors. A l'intérieur, la salle prévue et payée par les organisateurs était éclairée aux bougies : l'électricité avait été coupée, le matériel d'enregistrement retiré et les diplomates suisse, américain et canadien, auxquels il était difficile de refuser l'accès, attendaient dans l'obscurité ! Après deux heures de palabres, les organisateurs ont tenté de tenir une conférence de presse à la Maison de la presse. Nouvel échec, ses responsables leur refusant l'accès à la salle de conférences.

Camouflet. La FIDH (Fédération internationale des droits de l'homme) et plusieurs ONG ont dénoncé avec force cette interdiction. «Hier, le ministre de la Justice algérien signait la convention sur les disparitions forcées. Aujourd'hui, c'est un vrai camouflet : cette signature n'a-t-elle aucune valeur aux yeux de l'Algérie ?» s'est demandé Sidiki Kaba, le président de la FIDH. Cette interdiction fait évidemment douter de la volonté d'Alger de se conformer aux dispositions de la convention signée à Paris, ainsi qu'aux engagements pris lors de l'élection de l'Algérie au Conseil des droits de l'homme des Nations unies, le 9 mai 2006. Et Sidiki Kaba de déplorer : «L'Algérie, qui fut le théâtre pendant une décennie de violations graves des droits humains et particulièrement, de plusieurs milliers de disparitions forcées, refuse de faire la vérité sur ces agissements, au mépris de tous ses engagements internationaux, laissant les familles des victimes et des disparus dans l'abandon et l'isolement.»

En réalité, cet épisode illustre la gêne des autorités face aux 15 000 disparus de la sale guerre des années 90. Un problème susceptible d'entraîner des poursuites internationales à leur encontre et qu'elles tentent de résoudre par le seul versement d'indemnités financières aux familles.

Les droits de l'homme censurés à Alger