Rafik Belamrania Detained
On 5 February 2018, the prison sentence of human rights defender Rafik Belamrania was reduced to one year at an appeal hearing of the Criminal Court of Jijel. He was also given a two year suspended sentence. The human rights defender had originally been sentenced to five years imprisonment on 15 November 2017. The one year sentence is backdated to the day of his arrest on 22 February 2017.
On 15 November 2017, human rights defender Rafik Belamrania was sentenced to five years' imprisonment and a 100,000 Algerian Dinar (approximately €750) financial penalty under the false charge of “sympathising with terrorism”.
Rafik Belamrania is a founding member of Mish'al (torch) Association for the Children of the Forcibly Disappeared in Algeria, created in 2009 with the aim of supporting the parents of victims in their ongoing struggle for truth and justice concerning twenty thousand enforced disappearances committed by the Algerian security forces during the "black decade” 1992-1999. As part of his work, Rafik Belamrania monitors and documents cases of enforced disappearances and shares reports about serious violations of human rights with UN mechanisms and international organisations. He also works on organising peaceful protests and networking with political parties and prominent figures in society. Rafik Belamrania is active on social media where he spreads advocacy material related to his work.
On 5 February 2018, the prison sentence of human rights defender Rafik Belamrania was reduced to one year at an appeal hearing of the Criminal Court of Jijel. He was also given a two year suspended sentence. The human rights defender had originally been sentenced to five years imprisonment on 15 November 2017. The one year sentence is backdated to the day of his arrest on 22 February 2017.
Rafik Belamrania is a founding member of Mish'al (Torch) Association for the Children of the Forcibly Disappeared in Algeria. The organisation was created in 2009 with the aim of supporting the parents of victims in their ongoing struggle for truth and justice concerning 20,000 enforced disappearances committed by the Algerian security forces between 1992 and 1999. As part of his work, Rafik Belamrania monitors and documents cases of enforced disappearances and shares reports about serious violations of human rights with UN mechanisms and international organisations. He is also involved in organising peaceful protests and networking with decision makers. Rafik Belamrania was active on social media prior to his arrest, where he distributed advocacy material related to his work.
On 15 November 2017, Rafik Belamrania was sentenced to five years' imprisonment and a 100,000 Algerian Dinar fine, after being convicted of “sympathising with terrorism”. On 22 February 2017, the Court of Jijel ordered the detention of Rafik Belamrania under false charges in relation to a Facebook post which it was claimed “excused terrorism”. The regime in Algeria has regularly used the charge of “sympathising with terrorism” as a means to target peaceful activists over the past number of years.
Prosecutors also cited Rafik Belamrania’s possession of publications hostile to the Algerian regime, photos of rallies with human rights organizations, and photos of disappeared individuals as evidence of guilt. Other documents seized from the defender’s residence were similarly cited in his criminal prosecution including brochures of the National Coordination of Families of the Disappeared and seven testimonies relating to some of the missing persons.
While Front Line Defenders welcomes the decision to reduce the sentence, it condemns the arrest, sentencing, and imprisonment of Rafik Belamrania and believes these to be solely motivated by the human rights defender's peaceful and legitimate work in the defence of human rights in Algeria.
On 15 November 2017, human rights defender Rafik Belamrania was sentenced to five years' imprisonment and a 100,000 Algerian Dinar (approximately €750) financial penalty under the false charge of “sympathising with terrorism”.
Rafik Belamrania is a founding member of Mish'al (Torch) Association for the Children of the Forcibly Disappeared in Algeria. The organisation was created in 2009 with the aim of supporting the parents of victims in their ongoing struggle for truth and justice concerning 20,000 enforced disappearances committed by the Algerian security forces between 1992 and 1999. As part of his work, Rafik Belamrania monitors and documents cases of enforced disappearances and shares reports about serious violations of human rights with UN mechanisms and international organisations. He also works organising peaceful protests and networking with political parties and prominent figures in society. Rafik Belamrania was active on social media prior to his arrest, where he distributed advocacy material related to his work.
On 15 November 2017, Rafik Belamrania was sentenced to five years' imprisonment and a 100,000 Algerian Dinar financial penalty, after being convicted of “sympathising with terrorism”. On 22 February 2017, the Court of Jijel in Algeria ordered the detention of Rafik Belamrania under false charges in relation to a Facebook post that they claimed “excused terrorism”. The regime in Algeria has regularly used the charge of “sympathising with terrorism” as a means to target peaceful activists over the past couple of years.
Prosecutors also cited Rafik Belamrania’s possession of publications hostile to the Algerian regime, photos of rallies with human rights organizations, and photos of disappeared individuals as evidence of guilt. Other documents seized from the defender’s residence were similarly cited in his criminal prosecution including brochures of the National Coordination of Families of the Disappeared and seven testimonies relating to some of the missing persons.
Front Line Defenders condemns the arrest, sentencing, and imprisonment of Rafik Belamrania and believes these to be solely motivated by the human rights defender's peaceful and legitimate work in the defence of human rights in Algeria.
As of 25 September 2017, human rights defender Rafik Belamrania has been held in detention for 215 days (over 7 months) by Algerian authorities under fabricated charges. On 22 February 2017, the court of Jijel in Algeria ruled to detain Rafik Belamrania under false charges stating that he sympathised with terrorism on Facebook.
The decision to imprison him came only a few days after the UN Human Rights Committee found the Algerian government responsible for the summary execution of the human rights defender’s father in 1995. Prosecutors have cited his posession of publications hostile to the Algerian regime, photos of rallies with human rights organizations, and photos of disappeared individuals, in his criminal investigation. Other documents seized from his residence have been similarly cited in his criminal prosecution including brochures of the National Coordination of Families of the Disappeared and seven testimonies relating to some of the missing persons. Reports associated to his work on enforced disappearances were confiscated during the search of his home.
The charge of sympathising with terrorism is considered a criminal offense in Algeria and would be prosecuted in the Judicial Council of Jijel. As he is facing criminal charges, the human rights defender will remain in detention until a date for his hearing has been set. Front Line Defenders believes that the regime in Algeria has been using the charge of “sympathising with terrorism” as a means to target peaceful activists in the past few months.
Front Line Defenders condemns the ongoing detention of Rafik Belamrania and believes it to be solely motivated by the human rights defender's peaceful and legitimate work in the defence of human rights in Algeria.
As of 10 March 2017, human rights defender Rafik Belamrania has been held in detention for 12 days by Algerian authorities under fabricated charges. On 22 February 2017, the court of Jijel in Algeria ruled to detain Rafik Belamrania under false charges stating that he “excused terrorism on Facebook.” The decision to imprison him came only a few days after the UN Human Rights Committee found the Algerian government responsible for the summary execution of the human rights defender’s father in 1995.
Download the Urgent Appeal (PDF)
No evidence has been presented to suggest that Rafik Belamrania is guilty of the charge presented against him. The charge of “excusing terrorism” is considered a criminal offense in Algeria and would be prosecuted in the Judicial Council of Jijel. As he is facing criminal charges, the human rights defender will remain in detention until a date for his hearing has been set. On 17 February 2017, Algerian police arrested Rafik Belamrania at his home and held him in the police station for three days. On 21 February 2017, the police returned to the home of Rafik Belamrania with an arrest warrant and searched his home before taking him back to the police station. Reports associated to his work on enforced disappearances were confiscated during the search of his home. Algerian police brought the human rights defender to court on 22 February 2017 and ordered for him to be detained in relation to a Facebook post that they claimed “excused terrorism.” The human rights defender denied that he had a Facebook account and his lawyer explained that no evidence had been presented against him. Rafik Belamrania has been detained in Jijel prison since 22 February 2017 and a court date has yet to be set for an appeal of the decision.
According to Algerian sources, the regime in Algeria has been using the charge of “terrorism apology” as a means to target peaceful activists in the past few months. Front Line Defenders condemns the detention of Rafik Belamrania and believes it to be solely motivated by the human rights defender's peaceful and legitimate work in the defence of human rights in Algeria.
Front Line Defenders urges the authorities in Algeria to:
1. Immediately and unconditionally release Rafik Belamrania, and drop all charges against him;
2. Ensure that the treatment of Rafik Belamrania, while in detention, adheres to the conditions set out in the ‘Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment', adopted by UN General Assembly resolution 43/173 of 9 December 1988;
3. Guarantee in all circumstances that all human rights defenders in Algeria are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions.
