On 28 October 2015, Alkarama sent a communication to the Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence (SR Truth) to inform him about the judicial harassment targeting the relatives of Tahar and Bachir Bourefis, missing for nearly 20 years in the town of Jijel in northeast Algeria. Through this action, Alkarama also urges the Rapporteur to call on the Algerian authorities to respect their international obligations by opening impartial and independent investigations to establish the fate of those missing. In early October, Tahar's wife and Bachir's mother died without getting to know the truth about her relatives.

On 5 October 2015, Alkarama sent an urgent appeal to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders (HRD), Michel Forst, calling on him to intervene in the case of journalist and human rights defender, Hassan Bouras, arrested without judicial warrant in early October 2015 and currently detained in El Bayadh prison.

On 9 October 2015, Alkarama submitted to the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism (SR TERROR), a communication calling him to intervene in the case of Ali Attar, arbitrarily detained since his arrest without judicial warrant in February 2015. For the first 12 days of his arrest, Ali was a victim of torture and ill-treatment while detained incommunicado. He is now being held at the prison of El Harrache, pending a trial whose date has not yet been set.

On Monday 7 September 2015, Djameleddine Laskri entered its 24th year of arbitrary detention. On 20 August 2015, Alkarama sent the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) a follow-up communication regarding the current situation of Djameleddine Laskri, a 55-year-old architect who spent the last 23 years in prison after having been sentenced to death in the case of "the Algiers airport". This followed a procedure where the defendant's most basic rights to a fair trial were violated by the Special Court of Algiers, at that time headed by judge Bouhlass Said, who was later promoted to President of the Court of Algiers.

On 5 August 2015, Alkarama sent a communication to the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) and the Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence (SRTruth) concerning the cases of Mahmoud Grida and Mohamed Boughedda, who both went missing following their respective arrests in the north-eastern town of Jijel in 1994 and 1997.

The Turin Court of Appeal said this morning that it would make a decision within five days as to whether to maintain or lift the restrictive measure of house arrest held against Alkarama's Legal Director, Rachid Mesli, since 22 August 2015. The Court also informed Me Mesli that the Algerian authorities had sent a formal request for extradition, although the information received was "vague and incomplete", and that it had therefore requested the Algerian authorities to send clarification and additional information without undue delay.

Today, the Italian Minister of Justice ordered that Rachid Mesli remains under house arrest until further notice. This week, Mesli's lawyer will address a request before the Turin Court of Appeal for his release until a hearing is set.

Alkarama's Press Releases

• Turin Court of Appeal Authorises Rachid Mesli to Leave Italy (Alkarama, 16.09.2015)
• Court Lifts Restrictive Measure of House Arrest against Rachid Mesli (Alkarama, 16.09.2015)
• Rachid Mesli Remains Under House Arrest but Algerian Formal Request for Extradition "Vague and Incomplete" Says Italian Court (Alkarama, 15.09.2015)
• Minister of Justice Requests Rachid Mesli to Stay in Aosta Until Further Notice (Alkarama, 31.08.2015)
• Rachid Mesli to Stay in Aosta Until Further Notice (Alkarama, 25.08.2015)
• Rachid Mesli Released Pending Appearance Before Turin Court of Appeal on Tuesday (Alkarama, 22.08.2015)
• Alkarama's Legal Director Detained in Italy on the Basis of Algerian Arrest Warrant (Alkarama, 21.08.2015)

News on Rachid Mesli

Other NGOs Press Releases

• Front Line Defenders (NGO, EN), 19.09.2015, Update: Italy – Rachid Mesli permitted to leave Italy
• Front Line Defenders (NGO, ES), 18.09.2015, Update: Italy – Rachid Mesli permitted to leave Italy
• LADDH (ONG Algeria, FR), 17.09.2015, Court Lifts Restrictive Measure of House Arrest against Rachid Mesli: Alkarama's Press Release, by Alkarama
• Amnesty International Switzerland (NGO, FR), 16.09.2015, Rachid Mesli Is Free!
• Amnesty International (NGO, FR), 21.08.2015, The Algerian Human Rights Defender Who Is at Risk of Extradition Must Be Released Immediately
• Amnesty International Algeria (NGO, FR), 23.08.2015, Italy. The Algerian Lawyer Rachid Mesli, Should Be Released Immediately
• Amnesty International Italy (NGO, IT), 27.08.2015, Amnesty International to Minister Orlando: No Extradition for Algerian ME Rachid Mesli
• Amnesty International Switzerland (NGO, FR), 22.08.2015, Rachid Mesli, Algerian Lawyer Should Be Released Immediately, by Amnesty International
• Amnesty International Switzerland (NGO, DE), 21.08.2015, Human Rights Lawyer Arrested at Swiss Border
• Front Line Defenders (NGO, AR), 25.08.2015 Italy: The Legal Director of Alkarama Foundation Arrested
• Front Line Defenders (NGO, EN), 21.08.2015, Italy: Legal Director of Alkarama arrested, Letter to President Sergio Mattarella
• Front Line Defenders (NGO, EN), 21.08.2015, Italy: Legal Director of Alkarama arrested
• LADDH (NGO Algeria, FR), 24.08.2015, Case Rachid Mesli: LADDH Demands His Release, by President Nourredine Benissad

Wires

• ANSA (Italy, IT), 16.09.2015, Terrorism, Freed Activist Who Was under Arrest
• ANSA Valle d'Aosta (Italy, IT), 15.09.2015, Algeria Asks for the Lawyer's Extradition
• Agenzia Nova (Italy, IT), 27.08.2015, Terrorism: Mesli, My Arrest Is a Revenge of the Algerian Authorities
• AFP (France, EN), 21.08.2015, Algerian human rights lawyer held in Italy: reports
• ANSA (Italy, IT), 25.08.2015, Arrested Lawyer, Risk of Torture
• ANSA (Italy, EN), 21.08.2015, Mesli risks persecution if extradited says Amnesty
• ANSA (Italy, EN), 21.08.2015, Italy arrests Algerian lawyer
• ANSA (Italy, IT), 21.08.2015, Terrorism, Algerian Lawyer under Arrest
• Anadolu Agency (Turkey, AR), 22.08.2015, Algerian Lawyer Released after One Day of Detention in Italy
• Anadolu Agency (Turkey, AR), 21.08.2015, Italy: Algerian Lawyer Arrested on the basis of an Interpol's Decision
• APR (Algeria, FR),
• Quds Press International News Agency (Palestine, AR), 23.08.2015, Italian Police Arrested an Algerian Dissident

News from Algeria

• Le Matin (Algeria, FR), 30.09.2015, Algeria Asks Italy to Extradite Rachid Mesli, Former Lawyer of the Dissolved Islamic Salvation Front (APS)
• El Watan (Algeria, FR), 20.09.2015, Case Rachid Mesli: It Will Be Difficult for Algeria to Obtain His Extradition, by Nacéra Benali
• Le Quotidien d'Algérie (Algeria, FR), 16.09.2015, URGENT: Me Rachid MESLI Is Free!!!
• Tout sur l'Algérie (Algeria, FR), 16.09.2015, Rachid Mesli Not Anymore under House Arrest, by Amina Boumazza
• El Goual (Algeria, FR), 02.09.2015, Extradition of Rachid Mesli: No Request from the Algerian Authorities Yet, by Karim Kadi
• Reporters (Algeria, FR), 31.08.2015, Justice / Case Rachid Mesli: The Italian Court Ordered the Lawyer to Remain under House Arrest, by Salim Bennour
• El Khabar (Algeria, AR), 26.08.2015, Italy Refuses the Extradition of Former FIS Lawyer Rachid Mesli
• Tout sur l'Algérie (Algeria, FR), 26.08.2015, Rachid Mesli, Former Lawyer of Madani and Belhadj: "I Have Never Been Affiliated To FIS", by Amina Boumazza
• La Nation (Algeria, FR), 24.08,2015, Extradition to Algeria of Rachid Mesli, former Lawyer of Dissolved FIS: The Turin Court of Appeal Will Decide Today, by Fayçal Hamdi
• Liberté (Algeria, FR), 24.08.2015, Controversy over the Extradition of ME Rachid Mesli to Algeria
• El Watan (Algeria, FR), 23.08.2015, Italian Justice Releases Algerian Lawyer Rachid Mesli, by Farouk Djouadi
• Algeria Watch (Algeria, FR), 22.08.2015, Rachid Mesli Released Pending Appearance Before Turin Court of Appeal on Tuesday, by Alkarama
• Algeria Watch (Algeria, FR), 21.08.2015, Alkarama's Legal Director Detained in Italy on the Basis of Algerian Arrest Warrant, by Alkarama
• Le Quotidien d'Algérie (Algeria, FR), 21.08.2015, Arrest in Italy of ME Rachid Mesli, Human Rights Activist, by Salah-Eddine SIDHOUM

News from Italy

• RAI3 (Italy, IT), 16.09.2015, TG Valle d'Aosta Edizione delle 19.30, 01':07''-03':48'', by Marco Curatolo
• La Repubblica, Torino (Italy, IT), 16.09.2015, Judges in Turin Give Green Light, the Algerian Human Rights Lawyer Is Free Again
• RAI3 (Italy, IT), 15.09.2015, TG Valle d'Aosta Edizione della notte, 00':00''-01'35'', by Paolo Volpato
• RAI3 (Italy, IT), 15.09.2015, TG Valle d'Aosta EdizionTG Valle d'Aosta Edizione delle 19.30, 01':06''-03'17'', by Paolo Volpato
• Il Corriere della Sera (Italy, IT), 15.09.2015, Algeria Asks for Laywer's Extradition (ANSA)
• La Stampa Aosta (Italy, IT), 15.09.2015, Algeria Wants Rachid Mesli. "I Am at Risk of Torture There"
• RAI3 (Italy, IT), 14.09.2015, TG Valle d'Aosta Edizione delle 14.00, 07':50''-10':33'', by Marco Curatolo
• La Repubblica (Italy, IT), 25.08.2015, Arrested Lawyer: "If I Go Back to Algeria, I Am at Risk of Torture", by Jacopo Ricca
• RAI2 (Italy, IT), 25.08.2015, TG2 1:00pm, The Algerian Lawyer, Human Rights Activist Refused Extradition
• RAI3 (Italy, IT), 23.08.2015, TG Valle d'Aosta Edizione della notte, 00':00''-01':09'', by Pierfrancesco Pontercorvo
• La Stampa (Italy, IT), 22.08.2015, Rights Defender or Terrorist? The Riddle of the Arrested Algerian Lawyer, by Andrea Rossi
• Il Corriere della Sera, blog "Le persone e la dignità" (Italy, IT), 22.08.2015, Arrested in Italy Algerian Lawyer. Amnesty: "He Is Innocent, He Should Not Be Extradited", by Monica Ricci Sargentini
• Il Manifesto (Italy, IT), 22.08.2015, Rachid Mesli, An Arrest (in Italy), That Causes Debate, by Mauro Ravarino
  

News from Switzerland

• Alasr TV (Switzerland, EN), 28.09.2015,
  
• SwissInfo (Switzerland, EN), 22.09.2015, Rights lawyer undeterred by Italian house arrest, by Abdelhafidh Abdeleli
• La Tribune de Genève (Switzerland, FR), 16.09.2015, The Algerian Lawyer Rachid Mesli Can Come Back to Switzerland (ats/nxp)
• RSI (Switzerland, IT), 16.09.2015, Mesli Can Come Back to Switzerland
• Le Matin (Switzerland, FR), 16.09.2015, Algerian Lawyer Mesli Can Come Back to Switzerland (ATS/NXP)
• Neue Zürcher Zeitung (Switzerland, DE), 15.09.2015, Italy Does Not Extradite the Human Rights Activist to Algeria
• La Tribune de Genève (Switzerland, FR), 26.08.2015, The Algerian Lawyer Remains under House Arrest in Aosta
• Le Temps (Switzerland, FR), 24.08.2015, The Head of a Geneva-based NGO Stopped at the Italian Border, by Luis Lema
• Le Matin (Switzerland, FR), 21.08.2015, Italy Arrests an Algerian Lawyer, Refugee in Switzerland (ATS/Newsnet)
• 24heures (Switzerland, FR), 21.08.2015, Italy Arrests an Algerian Lawyer, Refugee in Switzerland (ATS/Newsnet)
• SwissInfo (Switzerland, FR), 21.08.2015, Italy Arrests an Algerian Lawyer, Refugee in Switzerland
  

News from the Arab World

• Al Huffington Post (North Africa, FR), 18.09.2015, Arrest of Rachid Mesli, Ex-Lawyer of Ex-FIS: Algeria Will Send the Extradition Request in Due Time
• The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (Regional, EN), 19-26.08.2015, Alkarama's Legal Director Detained in Italy on the Basis of Algerian Arrest Warrant
• Aljazeera America (Qatar, EN), 26.08.2015, Rights lawyer on house arrest in Italy accused of aiding 'terrorist group', by D. Parvaz
• Aljazeera.net (Qatar, AR), 23.08.2015, Italy Releases Human Rights Defender Rachid Mesli, by Abdelmonem Haikal
• Al Watan (Kuwait, AR), 22.08.2015, The International Association of Rights and Freedoms Deplores the Arrest in Italy of Human Rights Defender Rachid Mesli
• Al Huffington Post (North Africa, FR), 21.08.2015, Rachid Mesli, Algerian Lawyer and Human Rights Activist, Arrested by Italian Authorities in Switzerland
• Al Magharibia Channel (North Africa, FR), 21.08.2015, Arrest of Rachid Mesli in Italy!, by Djamaledine Benchenouf

News from other countries

From Europe

• Jeune Afrique (France, FR), 18.09.2015, Algeria Asks for Rachid Mesli's Extradition, Who... Has Already Left Italy, by Salsabil Chellali
• openDemocracy (World, EN), 03.09.2015, Why does the Algerian regime fear Rachad?, by Lakhdar Ghettas
• Mil21.es (Spain, ES), 31.08.2015, ME Rachid Mesli Arrested in Italy, Human Rights Defender Uncomfortable for Algeria
• Mondafrique (France, FR), 28.08.2015, The Possible Extradition of an Algerian Human Rights Lawyer
• The Independent (UK, EN), 26.08.2015, Why is Interpol doing the work of Arab despots?, by Robert Fisk
• Médiapart (France, FR), 22.08.2015, Free Rachid Mesli!
• Jeune Afrique (Africa, FR), 21.08.2015, Algeria: Rachid Mesli, Former Lawyer of FIS, Refugee in Switzerland, Arrested by the Italian Authorities
• Le Soir (Belgium, FR), 21.08.2015, Algerian Human Rights Lawyer, Refugee in Switzerland, Arrested in Italy

 From Turkey, Russia, Africa and beyond

• Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders (World, EN), 17.09.2015, Algerian government fails to prove accusation against human rights defenders held in Italy
• Sydney Criminal Lawyers (Australia, EN), 15.09.2015, Interpol: Catching Criminals or Persecuting Scapegoats?, by Ugur Nedim
• RIA Novosti (Russia, RU), 21.08.2015, Italy: Algerian Lawyer Suspected of Terrorism Got Arrested
• RT (Russia, FR), 21.08.2015, Algerian Lawyer, Human Rights Activist, Arrested in Italy

On 26 March 2015, Alkarama sent a communication to the United Nations Human Rights Committee (HRCtee) regarding the retaliatory measures taken by the Algerian authorities against some families from the region of Jijel who had sent individual complaints to the Committee following the enforced disappearance or summary execution of their relatives in the 1990s.

In February 2015, the family of Tewfik Djaou, disappeared since his abduction in 1997 in Constantine by agents of the Department of Intelligence and Security (DRS), asked Alkarama to address the United Nations Human Rights Committee (HRCtee) with a complaint regarding the disappearance of their son, in order to formally recognise the direct responsibility of the Algerian authorities and to obtain compensation.