Rafik Belamrania
Rafik Belamrania is a founding member of Mish'al (torch) Association for the Children of the Forcibly Disappeared in Algeria, created in 2009 with the aim of supporting the parents of victims in their ongoing struggle for truth and justice concerning twenty thousand enforced disappearances committed by the Algerian security forces during the "black decade” 1992-1999. As part of his work, Rafik Belamrania monitors and documents cases of enforced disappearances and shares reports about serious violations of human rights with UN mechanisms and international organisations. He also works on organising peaceful protests and networking with political parties and prominent figures in society. Rafik Belamrania is active on social media where he spreads advocacy material related to his work.
The lifting of Algeria’s 19-year state of emergency in early 2011 did not have a positive effect on the situation of human rights defenders (HRDs). Human rights defenders have continued to be subjected to harassment, threats, physical attacks, arbitrary detention and legal proceedings.
Peaceful protests have been forcibly dispersed and protesters and human rights defenders have been arrested and charged. An indefinite 2001 ban on protests continue to remain in force in the capital Algiers. A number of HRDs have been put on trial under Article 100 of the Penal Code, which punishes the incitement of unarmed gathering.
