Human rights defender Abdullah Benaoum sentenced for peacefully protesting
On 16 July 2020, the hearing session for human rights defender Abdullah Benaoum was held at the Criminal Court of Ghilizan; it was not open to the public. Following an examination of the defender by a court-assigned doctor, the hearing was rescheduled as requested by Benaoum's defense, as it was confirmed that he was too unwell to be tried.
Human rights defender Abdullah Benaoum is in a critical health condition and in urgent need of proper medical care and heart surgery, according to his lawyer.
At the beginning of May 2020, human rights defender Abdullah Benaoum suspended his hunger strike.
On 10 April 2020, human rights defender Abdullah Benaoum began an open-ended hunger strike to protest against ill-treatment in prison. Since then, his health condition has deteriorated and he is currently in the prison’s medical clinic.
On 27 January 2020, the Criminal Court of Ghilizan sentenced human rights defender Abdullah Benaoum to two months’ imprisonment and a fine of 20,000 dinars, following his participation in a peaceful demonstration held in Ghilizan in early December 2019.
Abdullah Benaoum is a human rights defender and social media activist who has written on labor rights, prisoners’ rights, and the rights of persons with disabilities in Algeria. The human rights defender has attended demonstrations to monitor and document, via social media, violations to the freedom of assembly and association caused by the excessive use of police force.
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- 16 July 2020 : Hearing for Abdullah Benaoum rescheduled
- 8 July 2020 : Imprisoned human rights defender Abdullah Benaoum in urgent need of heart surgery
- 19 May 2020 : Abdullah Benaoum suspends hunger strike
- 23 April 2020 : Abdullah Benaoum on hunger strike, health deteriorating
- 5 February 2020 : Human rights defender Abdullah Benaoum sentenced for peacefully protesting
On 16 July 2020, the hearing session for human rights defender Abdullah Benaoum was held at the Criminal Court of Ghilizan; it was not open to the public.
The defender was transported from Oran prison to Ghilizan Court by police car, rather than ambulance, despite his critical health condition. Abdullah Benaoum's defence requested that the hearing be rescheduled, as the defender was not fit to submit his defence, as a result of his poor health. Following an examination of the defender by a court-assigned doctor, the hearing was rescheduled, as it was confirmed that he was too unwell to be tried.
Abdullah Benaoum is facing several charges including ‘incitement against the state’, ‘insulting the regime’ and ‘contributing to the weakening of the army’s morale’.
Human rights defender Abdullah Benaoum is in a critical health condition and in urgent need of proper medical care and heart surgery, according to his lawyer.
Abdullah Benaoum is a human rights defender and social media activist who has written on labour rights, prisoners’ rights, and the rights of persons with disabilities in Algeria. He has attended demonstrations for the purposes of monitoring and documenting violations of the freedom of assembly and association caused by the excessive use of police force.
Abdullah Benaoum has been imprisoned since 10 December 2019 in Bel Hacel Prison in Ghilizan. On 7 June 2020, his lawyer submitted a request to the Public Prosecution in Ghilizan for the urgent heart surgery to be conducted as soon as possible. On 8 June 2020, Abdullah Benaoum was transferred to Al-Qadel prison, despite the fact that there is no health clinic in the prison. Whilst in Al-Qadel prison, the defender was detained in poor conditions. On 21 June 2020, his lawyer submitted another request for the urgent heart surgery to the Public Prosecution in Oran. On 29 June, Abdullah Benaoum was transferred to the Oran prison, where he is currently being held in the prison clinic. In spite of Abdullah Benaoum’s precarious health condition and the repeated request of his lawyer, the Public Prosecution has not yet granted permission for the vital surgery.
Abdullah Benaoum has not received family visits since March 2020, when visits to the prison were suspended due to COVID-19. The prison authorities have also prevented him from speaking with his family on the phone. Furthermore, his specific dietary requirements for his heart condition have not been accommodated for by prison authorities
The human rights defender is facing charges of ‘insulting the regime’, ‘incitement’ and ‘spreading fake news’. If found guilty, he is at risk of facing a six year prison sentence. On 10 April 2020, the human rights defender started an open-ended hunger strike for almost a month.
Front Line Defenders is deeply concerned regarding the critical condition of Abdullah Benaoum and calls on the Algerian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release the human rights defender, and provide him with the critical medical attention he requires.
At the beginning of May 2020, human rights defender Abdullah Benaoum suspended his hunger strike. He began the hunger strike on 10 April 2020, in protest against ill-treatment in Bel Hacel Prison in Ghilizan. The human rights defender is still in critical condition.
Since the outbreak of COVID-19, imprisoned human rights defenders in Algeria have been completely isolated as all family visits have been suspended and phone calls are not permitted.
On 10 April 2020, human rights defender Abdullah Benaoum began an open-ended hunger strike to protest against ill-treatment in prison. Since then, his health condition has deteriorated and he is currently in the prison’s medical clinic.
On 27 February 2020, the Public Prosecution considered the charges of ‘insulting the regime’, ‘incitement’ and ‘spreading fake news’ as felonies. If found guilty, Abdullah Benaoum is at risk of facing a six year prison sentence.
On 27 January 2020, the Criminal Court of Ghilizan sentenced the human rights defender to two months imprisonment in Bel Hacel Prison in Ghilizan and a fine of 20,000 dinars (approx. 150 euros). Despite having served the two month sentence he remains in detention as he is facing the above mentioned new charges related to social media posts.
On 8 January 2020, Abdullah Benaoum was formally charged with several offences, including ‘contributing to the weakening of the army’s morale’, ‘insulting the regime’ and ‘incitement against the state’.
On 27 January 2020, the Criminal Court of Ghilizan sentenced human rights defender Abdullah Benaoum to two months’ imprisonment and a fine of 20,000 dinars, following his participation in a peaceful demonstration held in Ghilizan in early December 2019.
Abdullah Benaoum is a human rights defender and social media activist who has written on labor rights, prisoners’ rights, and the rights of persons with disabilities in Algeria. The human rights defender has attended demonstrations to monitor and document, via social media, violations to the freedom of assembly and association caused by the excessive use of police force.
On 10 December 2019, Abdullah Benaoum was arrested after being summoned to a local police station in Ghilizan. His arrest came after his participation in a peaceful demonstration in Ghilizan in early December 2019. Abdullah Benaoum was interrogated for several hours, during which he was denied access to his lawyer.
On 8 January 2020, the human rights defender was formally charged with several offences, including ‘contributing to the weakening of the army’s morale’, ‘insulting the regime’ and ‘incitement against the state’. On 27 January 2020, the Criminal Court of Ghilizan sentenced him to two months’ imprisonment and a fine of 20,000 dinars (approx. 150 euros). He is currently being held in Bel Hacel Prison in Ghilizan.
The human rights defender has been frequently detained and subjected to judicial harassment by the authorities in relation to his work defending human rights in Algeria. In March 2018, he was arrested and sentenced to two years’ imprisonment on a number of charges relating to his Facebook posts. In June 2019, following a request made by his defence, he was conditionally released.
Front Line Defenders is seriously concerned about the sentencing of human rights defender Abdullah Benaoum, as it is believed to be solely motivated by his peaceful and legitimate work defending human rights in Algeria.
