Case History: Salah Dabouz
On 13 July 2016, the investigating judge of Ghardaïa Court placed human rights defender and lawyer Salah Dabouz under judicial supervision. The judicial supervision requires him to report to court every two weeks. The human rights defender was accused of insulting a state constituent body and smuggling a computer with a camera into prison.
Salah Dabouz is an Algerian lawyer and prominent human rights defender. He is the President of the Algerian League for the Defence of Human Rights (Ligue Algérienne pour la Défense des Droits de l’Homme) (LADDH), an independent association founded in 1985 working on the documentation of human rights violations in Algeria committed by security services and armed groups, in particular on cases of prisoners of conscience and enforced disappearance. Salah Dabouz is also a member of the Commission on Human Rights of the International Union of Lawyers, and a founding member of the Autonomous Union of Lawyers in Algeria.
On 13 July 2016, the investigating judge of Ghardaïa Court placed human rights defender and lawyer Salah Dabouz under judicial supervision. The judicial supervision requires him to report to court every two weeks. He was accused of insulting a state constituent body and smuggling a computer with a camera into prison.
On 15 June 2016, an investigating judge of Ghardaïa Court issued an arrest warrant against Salah Dabouz, however the warrant was not enforced. The human rights defender received no summons prior to this. He was accused of insulting a state constituent body smuggling a computer with a camera into prison, and documenting grave human rights abuses committed inside Mnea and Ghardaïa prisons in southern Algeria. It is alleged that in these prisons ill prisoners have not been receiving appropriate medical treatment, and others were subjected to sexual assaults.
Front Line Defenders remains concerned about the on-going proceedings against Salah Dabouz and believes that the actions against him are solely motivated by the human rights defender's peaceful and legitimate work in the defence of human rights in Algeria.
On 15 June 2016, an arrest warrant was issued against human rights defender Mr Salah Dabouz by an investigating judge of Ghardaïa Court. The human rights defender received no summons prior to this and was charged with insulting a state constituent body and smuggling a computer with a camera into prison.
Salah Dabouz is an Algerian lawyer and prominent human rights defender. He is the President of the Algerian League for the Defence of Human Rights (Ligue Algérienne pour la Défense des Droits de l’Homme) (LADDH), an independent association founded in 1985 working on the documentation of human rights violations in Algeria committed by security services and armed groups, in particular on cases of prisoners of conscience and enforced disappearance. Salah Dabouz is also a member of the Commission on Human Rights of the International Union of Lawyers, and a founding member of the Autonomous Union of Lawyers in Algeria.
On 15 June 2016, an investigating judge of Ghardaïa Court issued an arrest warrant against Salah Dabouz without issuing any previous summons. The human rights defender was charged with insulting a state constituent body and smuggling a computer with a camera into Ghardaïa prison. Previously, on 20 April 2016, Salah Dabouz documented grave human rights abuses committed inside Mnea and Ghardaïa prisons in southern Algeria, where ill prisoners have not been receiving appropriate medical treatment, and others were subjected to sexual assaults. The human rights defender believes that the arrest warrant ordered against him is to hinder his work in the defence of prisoners of conscience because of his documentation of the aforementioned incidents.
Front Line Defenders expresses its concern for the arrest warrant against Salah Dabouz, and believes that the on-going proceedings against him are solely motivated by the human rights defender's peaceful and legitimate work in the defence of human rights in Algeria.
Front Line Defenders urges the authorities in Algeria to:
1. Revoke the arrest warrant, dismiss the charges and immediately cease the current investigation and any further harassment against human rights defender Salah Dabouz;
2. 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.
