Take Action for Al-Taher Belabbas

On 18 February 2018, human rights defender Al-Taher Belabbas will stand trial at Warqala court in Algeria on the charge of “incitement to protests” for his work on economic and social rights in the context of labor movements.

Al-Taher Belabbas is the national coordinator of the National Committee to Defend the Rights of the Unemployed in Algeria. He has advocated for the rights to housing, labor movements and the rights to organise in union activism and student groups.

Al-Taher Belabbas will stand trial on 18 February 2018 for his work in the defence and promotion of economic and social rights, union activism and solidarity with student movements. In a separate ongoing case at Warqala court in Algeria, the human rights defender also faces charges of “illegal gathering" and "disruption of the public order.”

A travel ban has also been imposed on the human rights defender. He was informed of this at Houari Boumediene Airport on 15 December 2016 while en route to Morocco to participate in the fourth Maghreb Social Forum.

I condemn the ongoing judicial harassment of Al-Taher Belabbas as it believes it to be solely motivated by  his legitimate and peaceful work in defence of human rights in Algeria.

I call upon the government of Algeria to:

1. Immediately drop all charges against Al-Taher Belabbas;

2. Lift the travel ban on Al-Taher Belabbas;

3. Guarantee in all circumstances that human rights defenders in Algeria are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions including judicial harassment.