The Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS) has called on authorities in Algeria to conduct an unbiased and comprehensive investigation into the death of Hirak activist, Hakim Debazi.
Debazi, 55, who died in pretrial detention was being prosecuted by the Algerian judiciary on several charges related to his political opinions and social media posts.
The Hirak Movement began in February 2019 after President Abdelaziz Bouteflika announced his candidacy for a fifth presidential term. Protesters marched every Friday until Bouteflika resigned in April that year.
‘Algerian authorities must immediately conduct an independent and thorough investigation into the recent death of [Hakim Debazi], #Hirak activist and prisoner of opinion, in yet unclear circumstances, and share its results publicly’, CIHRS said in a tweet.
‘[Hakim Debazi] was arrested in February 2022 [and] was held in pretrial detention in the prison of Kolea (Tipaza) based on online publications.
‘Algerian authorities must release all those who, like Debazi, remain wrongfully imprisoned, notably in unjustified pretrial detention’.
Development Diaries had reported in February 2022 that the number of prisoners of conscience in the North African country had reached a new record 340.
The United States, in a 2020 report, noted that human rights issues, including arbitrary detention, serious restrictions on freedom of expression and press, arrests of journalists and substantial interference with freedoms of peaceful assembly and association were recorded in Algeria.
Also, Human Right Watch (HRW) reported in 2020 that despite Tebboune’s promise of dialogue, authorities continued to arrest and imprison protesters, activists, and journalists.
Data from Amnesty International (AI) shows that Algerian authorities have used repressive laws to prosecute dozens of peaceful protesters under charges like ‘harming national unity’, ‘harming national interest’, ‘incitement to unarmed gathering’, ‘offending public officials’, and ‘offending the President’.
Freedom House also rated the Maghreb nation as ‘not free’ in its 2022 Freedom in the World report of political rights and civil liberties, with Algeria earning 32 points out of a possible 100.
Photo source: Hakim Debazi
