France: Human Rights Organisations Call for Refusal of Dr Mourad Dhina Extradition Request by Algerian Authorities

30/01/2012
Press release
en fr

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.

ACAT-France, Algeria-Watch, Alkarama, the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, the Centre Libanais pour les Droits de l’Homme, EUROMED, International Federation for Human Rights, Front Line Defenders, the International Commission of Jurists, the French Ligue des droits de l’Homme and the World Organisation Against Torture expressed their concern that the extradition of Dr Dhina to Algeria would be contrary to France’s human rights obligations, and that his arrest might have been requested by the Algerian authorities with a view to muzzle him because of his activities as a human rights defender with Alkarama and his political activities with Rachad, a peaceful political association, legally registered in France, that is seeking democratic change in Algeria.

For more information, please contact:

  • ACAT-France – Ms Ophélie Latil, +33 (0)1 40 40 02 12 / +33 (0 7 61 71 66 69
  • Algeria-Watch – Ms Salima Mellah, +33 (0)698 388 144, s.mellah@algeria-watch.org
  • Alkarama - Mr Michael Romig, m.romig@alkarama.org +41 (0)76 542 13 09
  • Centre Libanais pour les Droits de l’Homme – Mr Wadih Al Asmar, +961 (0)70 950 780
  • Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EUROMED) Ms Hayet Zeghiche, hze@euromedrights.net, +32 (0)488 080 041 
  • International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) – Arthur Manet/Karine Appy : + 33 (0)1 43 55 90 19 / + 33 (0)1 43 55 14 12
  • Front Line Defenders - Mr Jim Loughran, jimloughran@frontlinedefenders.org, +353 (0)87 93 77 586
  • Ligue des droits de l’Homme de France – Ms Anne Garacoits, +33 (0)1 56 55 51 08 – anne.garacoits@ldh-france.org
  • World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) – Mr Gerald Staberock, Secretary General, +41 (0)22 809 49 39
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