Rights groups warn of more civil society crackdown in Algeria

Eight leading human rights organizations,including Human Rights Watch,have called on Algerian authorities to withdraw a proposed draft law on associations,warning that it would further erode the right to freedom of association and entrench government control over civil society.

In a joint statement,the groups criticized the draft bill intended to replace the restrictive 2012 law. They described it as a missed opportunity to align Algeria’s legal framework with international human rights standards.

The NGOs include Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS),Committee for the Preservation of the Algerian League for the Defense of Human Rights (CS-LADDH),EuroMed Rights,Fondation pour la Promotion des Droits,Human Rights Watch,International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) as part of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders,MENA Rights Group and the World Organization Against Torture (OMCT) as part of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders.

Instead,they argue,the new proposal doubles down on existing limitations and introduces new barriers to civic engagement.

“Algerian authorities should cease erecting roadblocks that prevent associations from operating freely,” said Alexis Thiry,legal advisor at MENA Rights Group.

“Rather than addressing shortcomings in Algeria’s associations law,the draft bill would make the situation even worse,” he said.

The draft law violates the constitutional right to freedom of forming associations and grants sweeping powers to the Interior Ministry over the registration,financing,and activities of associations.

Rights groups say the bill’s language is vague,such as requiring respect for “national unity,” “territorial integrity,” and “fundamental components of national identity.” They fear these concepts could be used to arbitrarily restrict or dissolve organizations.

The law also prohibits associations from engaging with political parties or receiving foreign funding without government authorization.

The proposed legislation comes amid a broader crackdown on civil society in Algeria,which intensified following the Hirak protest movement in 2019. Authorities have banned public gatherings,targeted human rights defenders,and dissolved prominent organizations such as RAJ (Youth Action Rally) and the Algerian League for the Defense of Human Rights.