Anouar Rahmani summoned
Human rights defender Anouar Rahmani awaits decision of general prosecutor after being questioned on 27 February by several police officers. The officers are accusing the human rights defender with insulting God and mocking religion in his novel that was published last year entitled “The City of White Shadows”. The novel discusses tolerance, history and love following the French revolution – making reference to an old man who believes he is God. This development is worrying as it constitutes the first time that the Algerian government attempts to prohibit a novel using the judicial system. Punishment for the aforementioned accusations can lead to 10 years in prison.
Anouar Rahmani is an Algerian human rights defender and independent novelist and writer expressing his views about freedom of expression, freedom of conscience, environmental rights, and minority and LGBT rights in Algeria. The human rights defender also writes for El Watan – an independent Algerian newspaper that give voice to authors who challenge government policies and practices. While still a student, Anouar Rahmani advocates through his writings for more individual freedoms in the country, for peaceful coexistence and for tolerance within Algerian society. He is also the first Algerian activist who has publicly called for same-sex marriage to be legally recognised in Algeria.
Human rights defender Anouar Rahmani awaits decision of general prosecutor after being questioned on 27 February by several police officers. The officers are accusing the human rights defender with insulting God and mocking religion in his novel that was published last year entitled “The City of White Shadows”. The novel discusses tolerance, history and love following the French revolution – making reference to an old man who believes he is God. This development is worrying as it constitutes the first time that the Algerian government attempts to prohibit a novel using the judicial system. Punishment for the aforementioned accusations can lead to 10 years in prison.
Anouar Rahmani was questioned for several hours on the morning of 27 February by seven police officers in Algeria. Three days earlier the human rights defender had received a summons from the Algerian police asking that he show up at the police station. The main questions addressed to Anouar in the investigation were related to a section in his novel “The City of White Shadows” that refers to an old homeless man who thinks he is God. Police officers accused Anouar of insulting God and mocking religion. The human rights defender was also questioned about his other writings – particularly those in El Watan newspaper that challenge societal norms and encourage principles of equality, freedom of expression and opinion, women’s rights and the rights of minorities in Algeria.
During the investigation, Anouar was repeatedly asked what religion he believes in. He was also asked about his family and his relationship status. The human rights defender was then accused of trying to avoid civil service. When the investigation was over, the police officers refused to give him a copy of the investigation notes that he signed and that will in turn be sent to the office of the general prosecutor. They also told him that he must stand before a military judge on Sunday, 5 March, to present an argument of why he has not yet done his civil service. Anouar is in fact still a student and his time to do civil service has not yet come.
Anouar expects to hear back from the prosecution in the coming week on whether there will be a case against him as a result of his novel. According to the human rights defender, the intention behind his summoning and questioning goes beyond his own personal writings and that it presents an opportunity for Algerian authorities to create precedent that will restrict creative writing that provokes thoughts and promotes inter alia women’s and minority rights.
Earlier last year on 20 May 2016, the human rights defender received death threats accusing him of distorting the Quran, blasphemy and apostasy. During the days which followed, he was threatened with abduction, death, and expulsion from university by religious leaders and students of Tipaza University Centre. Algerian authorities have reportedly opened an investigation into the case to investigate both allegations of death threats and blasphemy. The human rights defender has received no news of this personally and no follow-up has yet been taken .
Front Line Defenders condemns the judicial harassment experienced by Anouar Rahmani as a result of his novel and expresses its deep concern at the prospects of a trial that would create precedent restricting free speech in Algeria.
Front Line Defenders urges the authorities in Algeria to:
1. Immediately cease all forms of harasment against Anouar Rahmani and drop any charges against him;
2. Immediately take all necessary measures to ensure the physical and psychological security of human rights defender Anouar Rahmani;
3. Guarantee in all circumstances that all human rights defenders in Algeria are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions.
