Nassima Guettal

On 25 November 2011, at approximately 10 am, human rights defender Ms Nassima Guettal was arrested by the police in Algiers.

Further Information

She was apprehended by police while staging a one-person sit-down protest and hunger strike in the First of May Square, in protest against human rights violations in Algeria, including the recent temporary arbitrary arrest and detention of fellow human rights defender Mr Noureddine Belmouhoub. She was released later that day.

Nassima Guettal is a founding member of the Front du Changement National – FCN (National Front for Change) and a member of the Ligue Algérienne de Défense des Droits de l'Homme – LADDH (Algerian League for the Defence of Human Rights).

Following her arrest, Nassima Guettal was taken to a police station located at the First of May Square. The reason given for the arrest was the one-person sit-down protest which she initiated on 25 November, and which she was planning to continue. It is reported that she was offered to be released if she made an undertaking not to return to the Square and continue her protest. She is said to have declined to make such an undertaking and vowed to continue her peaceful hunger strike protest at the same location. She was held for several more hours before being released later that day.

While in detention, Nassima Guettal was asked which organisation she works for and interrogated about her human rights work. She was threatened that she would be dealt with differently if she returned to the First of May Square.

Front Line believes that the arrest and threats against Nassima Guettal were directly related to her legitimate and peaceful work in the defence of human rights, particularly her sit-down protest to demand respect for human rights in Algeria, including ending the arbitrary arrest and detention of human rights defenders.