By Kabylia Human Rights Defense in Kabylia

October 10th, 2025

(Paris)–After having totally destroyed freedom of expression in Algeria by a massive imprisonment of opponents—mostly Kabylians, the control of all media and submission of the judicial institution. The Algerian regime now attacks the profession of attorney, the last bulwark to defend the law in a most fierce dictatorship on earth.

The harassment of attorneys began two years ago and has pushed some of them to cease their activity in Algeria to take refuge in Europe. Attorney Salah Debbouze who defended the political prisoners of the Mzab had to leave Algeria; Attorney Sofiane Ouali and Omar Boussag engaged in the Collective for the defense of prisoners of conscience were brutalized and imprisoned. Also, attorney Toufik Belala endured harassment by the gendarmerie department of Boumerdes (Algiers).

This repression of lawyers is in fact increased and aggravated by a notice made public by the Algiers Bar Association on September 28, 2025, which subjects lawyers to prior authorization for any declaration in the media and social networks, and prohibits them from commenting on political or social subjects without official authorization under penalty of sanctions up to removal from the Council of the Order.

The attorney of Algiers, Mohamed Baghdadi, author of this notice, known for being a long-standing supporter of the Algerian regime, pushes the outrage to the point of justifying this dystopian measure by the need to “preserve the image and integrity of the profession”.

The ethical rules already impose on lawyers the duty of confidentiality and the preservation of the secrecy of the investigation. Nevertheless, the real objective of this notice is part of the Algerian regime’s policy of restricting freedom of expression by all means, which has already transformed Algeria into the largest open-air prison in Africa.

Once again, Algeria flouts the fundamental rights, freedom of opinion and expression guaranteed by the Algerian Constitution and the international treaties it has ratified.

Human Rights Defense in Kabylia strongly denounces this serious trampling on the judiciary profession and the right to the defense. It demands the immediate withdrawal of this scoundrel notice.

Human Rights Defense in Kabylia asks international judicial bodies, the International Criminal Bar, the International Union of Lawyers and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to strongly condemn this umpteenth fascist drift of the Algerian regime.