Forced disappearance of Mr. Mohamed Rahmouni

The International Secretariat of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Algeria.

Description of the situation

The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by a reliable source and by Antenna International, member of the SOS-Torture network, of the arbitrary arrest and forced disappearance of Mr. Mohamed Rahmouni since 18 July 2007 in Bourouba (Alger).

According to the information received, in the morning of 18 July 2007, Mr. Mohamed Rahmouni, 27 years old, was waiting for the bus to go to work when he was arrested by three agents of the security forces. They interpellated the victim by his nickname, Samir. Then, they presented their official identification papers and ordered Mr. Mohamed Rahmouni to follow them. Six days later, on 24 July 2007, four plainclothes and armed agents proceeded to search the Rahmouni family house. According to the information, the same agents came back on 29 July 2007 to request that Mr. Rahmouni’s brother Ali and cousin Fatah write a statement stipulating that the agents would have found the keys to a Mercedes and a JAC truck during the search, even though the family does not own any of these vehicles. Ali and Fatah wrote the statement, but according to the information have written that it was done at the police’s request.

According to the same information, Mr. Rahmouni’s family still doesn’t have any information on the grounds of his arrest and the place of his detention. Mr. Rahmouni”s mother decided to file a complaint with the District Attorney of the Hussein Dey court, but he has reportedly invited her to address herself to the Bourouba police station, where the officer allegedly refused to process the complaint, saying that Mr. Rahmouni was in the maquis. Another complaint was filed with the Alger Court.

The International Secretariat of OMCT expresses its deep concern over the arbitrary arrest and forced disappearance of Mr. Mohamed Rahmouni and the risks of torture he faces. OMCT urges the Algerian authorities to locate him rapidly while guaranteeing his physical and psychological integrity. OMCT recalls that Algeria is a State party to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, that prohibits torture and ill treatments. Furthermore, OMCT calls on the Algerian authorities to guarantee at all times the liberty of their citizens, in conformity to article 9.1 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Algeria is a party, which specifies that «no one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest or detention ».

Requested Action

Please write to the authorities in Algeria urging them to:

1. Take the necessary measures to locate Mr. Mohamed Rahmouni;
2. Guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of Mr. Mohamed Rahmouni, providing him with adequate medical care if necessary;
3. Order his immediate release in the absence of valid legal charges, and if such charges exist, ensure that he is given a prompt and fair trial, in which his procedural rights are guaranteed at all times;
4. Order a thorough and impartial investigation into these events in order to identify all those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law;
5. Ensure the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards.

Addresses

• Mr. Abdelaziz Bouteflika, President of the Republic, El Mouradia-BP Alger Gare, Fax 00213 21 69 15 95, E-mail: President@el-mouradia.dz
• Mr. Tayeb Belaiz, Minister of Justice, Ministry of Justice, 8 Place Bir-Hakem El-Biar, Alger, Algeria, Fax 00 213 21 92 17 01/ 29 56, E-mail: info@mjustice.dz
• H.E. Idriss Jazaïry, Ambassador, Permanent representative of Algeria to the UN in Geneva, Route de Lausanne 308, CH-1293, Bellevue, Switzerland, E-mail: mission.algerie@mission-algerie.ch, Fax: +4122 / 774.30.49
• H.E. Halim Benattallah, Ambassador of Algeria in Belgium, Molière ave 207, 1050 Brussels, Fax: 0032 343 51 68, E-mail: info@algerian-embassy.be

Please also write to the embassies of Algeria in your respective country.

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Geneva, 17 June 2007

Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.