The UN Special Rapporteur on the protection of human rights defenders, Mary Lawlor, expressed her deep concern over the Algerian authorities’ insistence on restricting the freedom of movement of journalist and human rights activist Said Boudour, despite a court ruling acquitting him of charges related to his peaceful activism.
Lawlor urgently called on the Algerian authorities to cease all forms of repression and security intimidation targeting Boudour, noting that these practices are not isolated incidents but are part of a broader systematic policy targeting journalists and human rights defenders. This approach, according to the UN official, reflects a clear decline in public freedoms in Algeria and highlights the widening gap between its international commitments and its practices on the ground. This underscores that Algeria has, for years, been mired in a dark swamp of systematic human rights violations and restrictions on freedom of expression – a downward trajectory that is no longer hidden from anyone. The ruling military regime has made repression a fixed policy targeting anyone who dares to raise their voice, whether journalist, activist, or even a simple citizen, reflecting a profound failure in managing public freedoms.
