Algeria: International NGO denounces weaponization of law to muzzle critical voices ahead of presidential election

ARTICLE 19 has decried the Algerian authorities’ tactics of deliberately targeting and silencing opposition and critical voices ahead of the presidential election on 7 September 2024.

In a press release issued Monday, the international NGO has denounced the amendments to the Algerian Penal Code, which mark a significant escalation in the Algerian government’s crackdown on dissent.

By introducing new speech offences and increasing the penalties for existing ones, “Algeria is expanding its legal tools to silence the opposition and critical voices”, said Article 19, calling on the Algerian regime to repeal the amendments and respect the freedom of expression, part of universal human rights.

Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights says: Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers
“We remind the Algerian government that any restrictions on freedom of expression must meet the principles of legality, legitimacy, necessity and proportionality”, underlined the NGO.

The penal code amendments introduce life imprisonment for ‘treason’, defined as disclosing information deemed sensitive to national security, defence, or the economy when shared via social media platforms ’for the benefit of a foreign country or one of its agents’.

The new rules spark fear among journalists, activists, and ordinary citizens, causing them to hesitate to share or discuss information related to government actions or policies, even if such information is crucial for public debate and accountability.

Human rights activists say the amendments violate the right to free speech by using vague and broad language to criminalize the dissemination of materials deemed harmful to the national interest.

Article 19 NGO says the recent amendments to the Algerian Penal Code impose severe penalties including doubled sentences for materials of foreign origin, deter information sharing, promote self-censorship, and isolate further Algerian society.