The human rights situation in Algeria, although improved since the mid to late 1990s, remains of serious concern. Around 100 people continue to be killed each month by armed groups, the security forces and state-armed militias, with civilians bearing the brunt of the violence in indiscriminate bomb explosions or targeted armed attacks. The population faces a series of overwhelming challenges, related not only to human rights concerns, but also to worsening socio-economic conditions and long-standing problems relating to political representation. The Algerian authorities have been talking increasingly in recent years about change, pointing to a series of reforms being planned and gradually implemented in areas such as legislation and the structure of state institutions. This report examines the promises of change and provides recommendations which, if implemented, could concretize human rights commitments and help to make them a reality.
