General: Algeria: GCHR declares its full solidarity with the Algerian League for the Defence of Human Rights

The Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) offers its full solidarity with the Algerian League for the Defence of Human Rights (LADDH) after the Algerian authorities decided to dissolve the non-governmental organisation.

In a statement published on its website on 22 January 2023, the LADDH announced that it had confirmed the authenticity of the document that was published on social media on 20 January 2023, which revealed the decision to dissolve the LADDH.

On 04 May 2020, the Ministry of the Interior submitted a request to dissolve the association to the Algerian judiciary. The Administrative Court in the capital, Algiers, held a session on 29 June 2022, and issued its decision approving this request and dissolving the LADDH.

The decision was issued by a court that, when adjudicating the case, lacked the minimum international standards for a fair trial and due legal process, because the LADDH was deprived of its right to defend itself nor even to discuss the merits of the case. Furthermore, the LADDH only found out about the court’s decision through social media almost seven months later.

In a statement to GCHR, Aissa Rahmoun, Vice President of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and Vice President of the LADDH, said, "We consider the decision to be political and arbitrary against the League. We will not surrender and we will continue to struggle to achieve our goals in establishing the rule of law and democracy."

GCHR condemns in the strongest terms this decision issued against the LADDH, one of the leading human rights organisations in our region which was founded in 1985. GCHR believes that the only reason for targeting the LADDH is its peaceful and legitimate activity in the field of human rights, and its success in defending civil and human rights for all citizens in Algeria.

GCHR urges the Algerian authorities to immediately revoke this arbitrary order and to enable the LADDH to carry out its work in a healthy environment free from all forms of harassment, including judicial.