Alkarama for Human Rights and Algeria-Watch, 17 August 2007

We are launching a new appeal to Algerian human rights associations, women’s associations, journalists, independent unions, political party and association activists, lawyers and human rights defenders to get involved with the UN Human Rights Committee’s expert examination of the third periodic report of the Algerian government on 23 October 2007.

Alkarama for Human Rights, 15 August 2007

Alkarama for Human Rights has appealed to the President of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention regarding the case of Walid Ali Ahmad Lamri, a Saudi citizen, human rights defender, and member of Alkarama.

Alkarama for Human Rights, 10 August 2007

Alkarama for Human Rights wishes to draw attention to the case of Mr. Al Rabassi.  Arrested at home on 3 January 2003 by Internal Security agents, he was condemned to 15 years’ criminal imprisonment by an exceptional court for having sent an email criticising the President.  The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention issued an opinion on 30 August 2005 deeming Mr. Al Rabassi’s detention arbitrary.

Alkarama for Human Rights and Algeria-Watch, 23 July 2007

Algeria was required by the Human Rights Committee to issue its third periodic report in June 2000. It did not do so, however, until 22 September 2006, six years later. The period taken into account in our observations thus stretches from 1998 until today.

The human rights situation has changed a lot over this period.

Alkarama for Human Rights, 2 August 2007

In another blow to the British government’s claim that “diplomatic assurances” prevent torture, British judges have stopped the government from deporting three people to Algeria.  Their close examination of the evidence confirmed a point that Alkarama and other human rights organisations had made from the beginning – that, notwithstanding the diplomatic assurances given by Algeria to the UK, people deported were still at risk of torture.

Alkarama for Human Rights, 25 July 2007

As of Monday 24/07/2007, the Saudi authorities have released our client Dr. Abdallah Al Hamed and his brother Isa Al Hamed.  Alkarama had taken up their issue during the wave of arrests of 16/03/2004 which affected him and some other symbols of political, cultural, and ideological reform in the Kingdom.

Alkarama for Human Rights, 20 July 2007

Alkarama for Human Rights has learned that the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention issued opinion 4/2007 on 8 May 2007 about the detention of Mr. Khalid Al Rashed, deeming the case to constitute arbitrary detention and calling on the Saudi government to remedy this situation. 

Alkarama had submitted the case of Mr. Khalid bin Muhammad Al Rashed, detained at Al Ha’ir prison in Riyadh, to the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on 30 April 2006.

Alkarama for Human Rights, 10 July 2007

Alkarama for Human Rights has addressed Louise Arbour, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to bring to their attention the issue of Sayfallah Ben Hassine, detained at Mornaguiya prison (Tunis).

Alkarama for Human Rights, 13 July 2007 

Over the last few weeks Alkarama has been contacting UN bodies, specifically the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Working Group on Enforced Disappearance, and the Special Rapporteur on Torture, regarding the brothers Ibrahim and Usamah al-Jadhran, born 1983 and 1985, who were arrested at their home in Ajdabiya (170 km south of Benghazi) on 29 June 2005 by the Libyan Internal Security, and tortured  in the Internal Security Centre at Ajdabiya by two locally well-known officers.