GENEVA (SWITZERLAND) (ITALPRESS) – United Nations experts expressed “serious concern about the alleged crackdown on civil society in Algeria, including the incommunicado detention, harassment and intimidation of relatives of victims of enforced disappearances engaged in the search for their loved ones and the pursuit of truth and justice.” This was stated in a statement released by the United Nations.
“The families of forcibly disappeared persons have a right to the truth. Any obstruction of this deepens their suffering and creates a chilling effect on civil society as a whole,” the experts said in the statement.
Among the cases cited is that of activist Rachid Ben Nakhla, who was reportedly arrested in April 2026 in circumstances still unclear by the Algerian authorities. The UN experts called on Algeria to immediately disclose the place of detention and the fate of the person concerned and to proceed with his release without delay.
The report also mentions the cases of Hamza Tellaa, Samia Bekouche, and Slimane Hamitouche, who were allegedly arrested without a warrant and subsequently released.
According to the experts, even temporary detention not officially recognized can constitute enforced disappearance under international law. The Algerian authorities are also reportedly targeting the Collectif des Familles de Disparu.e.s en Algérie (CFDA) and the SOS Disparus association. On March 16, the premises of SOS Disparus were closed and sealed by the Algerian authorities, citing an alleged lack of administrative authorization. United Nations experts have expressed doubts about the legitimacy of these measures, stressing that such restrictions effectively prevent families from reuniting, organizing, and continuing their search for missing persons.
Recalling Algeria’s international obligations, the UN experts reiterated that “the prohibition on enforced disappearances is absolute and non-derogable under international law” and that the authorities have a duty to protect the victims’ families and human rights defenders from any form of reprisal, intimidation, or persecution. The experts also called for full respect for fundamental procedural guarantees, the lifting of restrictions against the CFDA and SOS Disparaus, the reopening of the association’s offices, and access to effective judicial remedies to challenge the measures.
– Photo IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS).
