Amnesty International USA

600 Pennsylvania Ave. SE

Washington, DC  20003

March 12, 2024

Re: Human rights abuses in Kabylia by the Algerian military regime 

Dear Elizabeth Rghebi,

As a Kabylian-American, I’m highly appalled and concerned about the distressed situation which the people of Kabylia are enduring from the Algerian military regime. In fact, Algeria has already jailed at least 400 innocent Kabylians, condemned to death 38 innocent Kabylians in an expedited proceedings and closed 34 Christian churches in Kabylia. Therefore, in this letter, I would like to draw your attention by highlighting three recent cases of the ongoing and endless repression.

The first is related to Mr. Lamine Meddourene, who’s a young filmmaker, arbitrarily condemned on 25^th February 2024 to 5 years in prison, because of his documentary movie, called “Secular Algeria”. Also, the court retained against him the charges of “terrorism apology”, and “foreign financing” because he was planning to interview Mr. Ferhat Mehenni–The President of Kabylia Self-determination Movement – about secularism.

The second is related to the detention of Mr. Moussa Haddadi, on February 27^th   2024, who previously met Mr. Clément Nyaletsossi Voule– The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association during his mission in Algeria from 15 to 26 September 2023.

The third is related to Mr. Jamal Ikni, an emblematic advocate of human rights in Kabylia, he was arbitrarily arrested and jailed in 2021, served 2 years sentence, then released. However, he was arrested for the second time, and on February 29^th, 2024, he was sentenced again for one year in prison.

Given the grim milestone of repression and injustice that Kabylia has been enduring by the Algerian military regime, I would like to exhort you, Ms. Elizabeth Rghebi, to invite and engage Amnesty International in  writing an Open Letter to the President Biden so that United States of America uses its power, influence, leadership, and all diplomatic efforts as leverage to call on  the Algerian President–Abdelmadjid Teboune, its government and the Algerian military hierarchy to: 

1. Stop human rights violation in Kabylia;
2. Ensure fair trials to Kabylia’s political activists;
3. Uphold Algeria’s international commitments to human rights;
4. Free all Kabylia’s innocents detainees.
5. Cancel the 38 death sentences;
6. Immediately repeal Penal Code Article 87 bis.