HIBAPRESS
The human rights organization "MENA" (MRG), in a recent report published from Geneva, accused the Algerian authorities of extensively using travel bans (ISTN) as a means of political repression and control over opponents, considering that this administrative measure is used arbitrarily and violates Algeria's international obligations in the field of human rights.
The report clarified that Article 49 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, issued under Law No. 25-14 dated August 3, 2025, grants the Attorney General the authority to prevent any person suspected of committing a felony or misdemeanor from leaving the national territory, based solely on a report from a judicial police officer, without going through any prior judicial procedure, making the decision in the hands of the Public Prosecution alone. The human rights organization affirmed that this system, which had previously been criticized by the United Nations Human Rights Committee, does not meet the required standards in terms of impartiality and independence in imposing restrictions on a fundamental freedom such as freedom of movement. The report indicated that the duration of the ban, which was initially set at three months and renewable, can extend "until the end of the investigation" in cases related to terrorism or national security, pointing out that the loose definition of these crimes opens the door to violations and the political use of the law. The report also documented numerous testimonies showing systematic arbitrary practices, where many citizens discover their travel ban only at border crossings, without any official notification or effective possibility of appeal. It showed that administrative or informal appeals often remain unanswered or are rejected without justification, making the objection almost impossible. The report recorded only one case — dating back to 2014 — in which the Council of State canceled a travel ban decision after considering it illegal. The organization cited about thirty documented cases, including political, union, and media figures, including Abdel Razzaq Makri, the former president of the Movement of Society for Peace, members of the COSYFOP union, activist Kaddour Chouicha, journalist Marzouk Touati, and editor Mustafa Ben Jamaa, who has been banned from traveling since 2019. MENA for Human Rights called on the Algerian authorities to lift all legally unjustified travel ban decisions, to establish an independent judicial review mechanism, and to review counter-terrorism legislation to ensure its consistency with Article 12 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, stressing that these reforms represent a necessary step towards Algeria's respect for its international obligations in the field of fundamental freedoms.
