Kamira Nait Sid
Kamira Nait Sid is the co-president of the World Amazigh Congress (WAC), an international NGO defending the rights of the Amazigh people. The mission of the WCA is to ensure the defence and promotion of political, economic, social, cultural, historical and civil rights of the Amazigh people. Within the framework of its international activities, the CMA regularly presents alternative reports concerning the situation of the rights of the Amazighs, before the various specialized bodies of the United Nations (in particular those dealing with questions of racism and discrimination, political, economic, social, cultural and linguistic rights, women's rights, and children's rights). The WAC also defends the right to land and self-determination as outlined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
The lifting of Algeria’s 19-year state of emergency in early 2011 did not have a positive effect on the situation of human rights defenders (HRDs). Human rights defenders have continued to be subjected to harassment, threats, physical attacks, arbitrary detention and legal proceedings.
Peaceful protests have been forcibly dispersed and protesters and human rights defenders have been arrested and charged. An indefinite 2001 ban on protests continue to remain in force in the capital Algiers. A number of HRDs have been put on trial under Article 100 of the Penal Code, which punishes the incitement of unarmed gathering.
