In an atmosphere of regime change, Mr. Bouteflika has put all of his energies into his speech given in Sétif on May 8, 2012. He encouraged Algerians to vote en masse in the May 2012 legislative elections. In an earlier speech, he had placed the elections on the same pedestal as the Revolution of November 1954. In Sétif, however, he added: "I appeal to young people who must bear witness because my generation's time has passed (...)
On Monday 21 May, the second cycle of the UPR – Universal Periodic Review – will begin at the Human Rights Council in Geneva, with the 13th session of the Human Rights Council Working Group on the UPR. ALkarama contributed four reports for this process – summaries of the human rights situation in Algeria, Bahrain, Morocco and Tunisia.
On 10 May, Algeria will hold legislative elections. Dr Mourad Dhina, a long running critic and opponent of the Algerian regime, would have played a crucial role in the debates and discussions surrounding these elections, had the French judiciary not decided otherwise.
A coalition of eleven international and national NGOs today addressed French Prime Minister François Fillon in a public letter calling for Alkarama's executive director Dr Mourad Dhina not be extradited to Algeria, where he risks torture. The Prime Minister is responsible for signing off on extradition requests.
Geneva, London, Copenhagen, Oslo – Alkarama, Amnesty International, the Human Rights House Foundation (HRHF), the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT) and the World Organisation against Torture (OMCT) will jointly webcast the 47th session of the U.N. Committee against Torture (CAT).