AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL PRESS RELEASE

Embargoed til 11.00 GMT Friday 19 April 2002

Ai index: MDE 28/009/2002

News Service 66/2002

Algeria: When token gestures are not enough -- human rights and the Algeria - EU accord

As Algeria and the European Union (EU) prepare to sign a bilateral association agreement at the beginning of next week, Amnesty International today called on the parties to ensure that the Agreement's human rights provisions do not remain token gestures.

"At a time when unarmed demonstrators are being shot dead in the street by security forces as anti-government protests increase, the urgency for the potential in the Agreement's human rights clause to be unlocked cannot be overstated," Amnesty International said today releasing a new report; Algeria: When token gestures are not enough -- human rights and the Algeria-EU accord.

The Association Agreement, to be signed on the fringes of the Euro-Mediterranean Ministerial Meeting taking place in Valencia, Spain, on 22-23 April 2002, focuses on trade, economic integration, security and political dialogue, but also contains a legally binding clause requiring the contracting parties to promote and protect human rights.

"If taken seriously, this human rights clause has the potential to be a tool for positive change in both Algeria and EU member states," Amnesty International said. However, the organization is deeply concerned about the context in which the Agreement is being signed, particularly in the light of recent killings of unarmed protestors by the security forces in the predominantly Amazigh (Berber) region of Kabylia.

Although little international attention is paid to the ongoing suffering of the Algerian people, the bleak reality is that a human rights crisis continues to blight Algeria. The number of people killed each month by the security forces, state-armed militias and armed groups in the context of the armed conflict remains shockingly high. Reports of torture and ill-treatment by the security forces - including of women and children as young as 15 - continue to be numerous and widespread, even though the climate of fear in the country means that reported cases may represent only the tip of the iceberg. Restrictions on freedom of expression have increased over recent months.

Since 1992, despite Algeria’s obligations under domestic law and international human rights standards, successive governments have not only failed to take the necessary measures to ensure that thorough, independent and impartial investigations are carried out into grave human rights abuses, they have repeatedly blocked the attempts of international governmental and non-governmental organizations to scrutinize the human rights situation in the country and used "counter-terrorism" arguments to justify massive human rights violations.

"Given the Algerian authorities' sustained and serious disrespect for their international human rights obligations, urgent and effective measures must be taken to ensure that the human rights clause of the Association Agreement is respected," Amnesty International said.

More precisely, the organization is calling on Algeria and the EU to create a mechanism that will regularly assess compliance with the human right clause of the agreement. Such a mechanism should:

-- monitor regularly and impartially developments in the field of human rights in Algeria paying particular attention to what are termed "counter-terrorism" measures and whether or not they conform with international human rights standards;

-- urge the Algerian authorities to grant access to the country to UN human rights experts;

-- set measurable goals for improvements in the human rights situation in Algeria, based particularly on unimplemented recommendations made by UN human rights bodies.

Furthermore, Amnesty International again reiterates its call on the Algerian government to create an independent and impartial commission of inquiry to investigate the thousands of killings, "disappearances", reports of torture and other human rights abuses and that alleged offenders are brought to justice in proceedings which conform with international fair trial standards.

For a copy of the report: http://www.web.amnesty.org/ai.nsf/recent/mde280072002