Arbitrary detention of woman human rights defender Amel Hadjadj
On 21 November 2019, woman human rights defender Amel Hadjadj was arbitrary detained and physically abused by the Algerian police in front of the court premises in Algiers.
Amel Hadjadj is an Algerian woman human rights defender and member of the Algerian Feminist Association. She is also a member of the ‘Kif Kif’ movement which promotes LGBT+ rights, and works towards the achievement of gender equality in Algeria.
On 21 November 2019, woman human rights defender Amel Hadjadj was arbitrary detained and physically abused by the Algerian police in front of the court premises in Algiers.
Amel Hadjadj is an Algerian woman human rights defender and member of the Algerian Feminist Association. She is also a member of the ‘Kif Kif’ movement which promotes LGBT+ rights, and works towards the achievement of gender equality in Algeria.
On 21 November 2019, the Algerian police arrested Amel Hadjadj in front of the court in the city of Algiers. During her arrest she was subjected to severe physical abuse, form which she suffered several injuries. She was also verbally abused by the police who repeated discriminatory, misogynistic remarks.
Amel Hadjadj spent almost two hours in interrogation before she was released. During the interrogation she was not permitted to contact her lawyer or family, and police briefly threatened to charge her with “terrorism”.
Amel Hadjadj has been frequently harassed by the Algerian authorities for her human rights activities. She is regularly under police surveillance and interrogated at the airports, and her house was raided on one occasion, with no effective investigation carried out.
Human rights defenders in Algeria are continually harassed by the authorities. Front Line Defenders finds this deeply concerning, as it believes that they are being targeted solely as a result of their legitimate human rights activities.
