Kabyles for Human Rights

USA
kabylehr@protonmail.com

Honorable President Emmanuel Macron,
Palais de l’Élysée
55, Faubourg Saint-Honoré
75008 Paris
France

22 April 2025

Re: The Kabyle people in distress

Honorable President,
Our organization is a human rights Non-Governmental Organization that is affiliated to Amnesty International. It pledges the defense and the unveiling of human rights violations, in particular when the victims are Kabyle people.
As you surely know, Kabyles are indigenous people in Northern Algeria who have a great history since ancient times and practiced one of the most democratic political systems in the world. However, that ended with Kabylia’s annexation to Algeria in 1857 by the French Republic.Our organization is very concerned by the violation of human rights in Algeria[1], but in particular when it impacts the Kabyle people. Over the years, the assaults by this authoritarian regime have escalated. The military, the police, the justice system, the regime of Algiers at the highest-level work in tandem to quash Kabylia and silence it forever.
Honorable President, your administration is aware of the poor governance in Algeria and the drift of this country in all areas. You duly denounced the attempts of the Algerian “militaro-maffieux”-to quote you- to get control of “their migrants” in France in order to destabilize the French democracy. However, this letter is meant to draw your attention to the particular crimes of the Algerian regime against Kabylia and the now publicly known Algerian plan to bribe and threaten the Kabyle opposition in Europe and in North America.

1. Since 1962 (year of Algeria’s independence) the new regime has introduced Arab-Islamic culture and practices as governance modus, thus denying Kabyle people the right to use their language and culture, let alone the way they wish to organize their society. The forced Arabization and Islamization in schools to acculturate the future generations of Kabyle being not enough, the government invents schemes[2] to discredit the values of Kabyles vis-à-vis the Algerian Arab population and international opinion.
2. Control of the media, including the jailing of journalists. There are more than 25 TV channels in Arabic, most of which broadcast Koranic programs all around the clock, and none in Kabyle language, except for few hour programs a week. Here again, the intention is to assimilate the Kabyle people by introducing Arab-Islamism into their homes.
3. Arrest of anyone holding the Amazigh (Berber) or Kabyle flag. Authors of opinions posted in social media remotely critical of the government or reporting civil rights violations are sentenced to imprisonment. Boualem Sansal, an award-winning French-Algerian writer was sent directly to prison as soon as he landed at Algiers airport in November 2024. His only crime was to express his opinion during interviews held in France. In addition, he repeatedly raised a flag about the expansion of radical Islam in Europe.
4. Since 2021, no demonstration is authorized in Kabylia, this generates a climate of tension and frustration. By the way, we are most grateful to France for allowing our fellow country women and men to demonstrate in different French cities.
5. Refusal to invest or blocking private investments in Kabylia under various pretexts and through bureaucratic controls, thus pushing the Kabyle people to immigration abroad. This leads to the depopulation of the educated Kabyle fringe, leaving an economic misery behind.
6. Churches closings while mosques are flourishing in every village of Kabylia thanks to Government subsidies. The ordinance 06-03 of 2006, prohibits anything that would ‘shake the faith of a Muslim’ or be used as a ‘means of seduction intending to convert a Muslim to another religion’ (Opendoor). As of the end of 2024, all evangelist churches that are mainly based in Kabylia were shut down by the police, thus denying people the right to worship[3].
7. To enforce the repression and muzzle protesters, tailor-made law (Article 87bis of the penal code) was enacted by President Tebboune (by ordinance) in 2022. It defines as terrorism any act that was construed as threatening national unity or territorial integrity. The interpretation of the law was so broad that it led to the arrests of many activists for their opinions about the regime and or for supporting autonomy or self-determination. Under this law more than 350 Kabyles in jail of whom 38 were sentenced to death without clear evidence of their alleged crimes or a fair trial. Moreover, prisoners are usually subject to verbal and physical abuse. This injustice causes immeasurable harm to those unjustly sentenced and beyond, causes great prejudice to the Kabyle population which is thus pointed at by the international community.
8. The same law (Article 87bis of the penal code) allows the government to declare the Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylia (MAK) as a terrorist organization. One wonders how could a peaceful movement that calls for self-determination becomes a terrorist organization. What terror have they carried out? In fact, the reason for criminalizing this movement is because it stands for the rights of Kabyle people[4] The recent extradition of a peaceful Kabyle activist[5] has been turned down by the French judges that considered such a request unfounded, not substantially documented, and unprofessionally formulated.
   
   Honorable President, this short list of flagrant violation of the rights of the Kabyles by the Algerian government gives you an idea about its true objective: at best the assimilation of the Kabyle people, at worst their eradication.
   
   As you surely know, Algeria is a very controversial country. Although it has immense minerals, gas and oil resources, its economy is nearly bankrupt. Still, 19% of the 2025 budget is dedicated to the military, the remaining being dispatched foremost to the State bureaucracy, police and high-level corrupted officials. The military, fully equipped by Russia, is undoubtedly the backbone of the whole system, which is also a concern for the neighboring countries. To date, a very significant number of military ground troops, plus other forces such as the police and gendarmerie are stationed in Kabylia, whereas this territory counts for ca. 1.5% of the whole country. While Kabylia is very peaceful, this strong presence has only one purpose: to repress any signs of actions for freedom and affirmation of Kabylia’s culture.
   
   France and Kabylia share the same principles: they both stand for freedom and peace. This is evidenced by the long historical and full integration of Kabyle immigration in France that counts for ca. 2 million people, a significant part of which is bi-national. The French Senate has perfectly understood this situation and the distress of the Kabyle people as they initiated a dialogue with the Kabyle provisional Government ANAVAD.
   
   We therefore appeal to your administration to officially recognize the Kabyle peaceful opposition movements so to help make an end to the ostracism and unfair treatment of the Kabyle people by the Algerian Junta. Supporting the Kabyle legitimate rights and publicly advocating for their fundamental rights is also a way of preserving France from the Algerian destabilization attempts. But our most urgent request is to help the release of all prisoners of conscience. We believe that France is in a position to change their destiny.
   
   Finally, our organization would welcome a meeting with your staff to provide further details regarding the repression and the ostracism that Kabylia has been enduring since 1962.
   
   Sincerely,
   
   Kabyles for Human Rights
   
   ***
   
   1 ) During the Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review in November 2022, most of the Western countries have strongly denounced Algeria’s human rights violations.
   
   [https://www.lemonde.fr/en/le-monde-africa/article/2022/11/12/human-rights-algeria-faces-criticism in-geneva_6003919_124.html](https://www.lemonde.fr/en/le-monde-africa/article/2022/11/12/human-rights-algeria-faces-criticism in-geneva_6003919_124.html)
   
   2 ) https://www.lemonde.fr/idees/article/2023/04/27/en-algerie-la-kabylie-est-une-proie-facile-que-l-on-peut-aisement-designer-comme-ennemi-de-la-nation_6171187_3232.html
   
   3 ) On November 15 2021 the Secretary of State placed Algeria on the Special Watch List for having engaged in or tolerated severe violations of religious freedom.
   
   https://www.state.gov/reports/2021-report-on-international-religious-freedom/algeria/
   
   4 ) Our point of view has been corroborated by the US State Department in the “Country Reports on Terrorism 2022”.
   
   https://www.state.gov/reports/country-reports-on-terrorism-2022/algeria/

5) Aksel Bellabbaci