Algeria: Deteriorating human rights under the state of emergency

Index Number: MDE 28/004/1993
Date Published: 2 March 1993
Categories: Algeria, Middle East And North Africa

This report describes violations of human rights by government forces during the state of emergency proclaimed for 12 months on 9 February 1992. AI is concerned that these violations appear to be becoming increasingly institutionalized in Algeria. They occur in a climate of political violence in which more than 270 members of the security forces and up to 20 civilians have been killed by armed Islamist groups. Topics covered by this report include: administrative detention, torture, diminished trial safeguards, killings of civilians, lack of investigation into killings and the use of the death penalty. Responses within Algeria to the human rights situation are also surveyed.