At the ongoing 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Algeria has voiced serious concerns regarding human rights violations in Western Sahara. An Algerian diplomat urged for international oversight, stating, “My country expresses its deep concern about the systematic violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in the occupied territory of Western Sahara.” He called for documentation of these abuses and requested an investigative mission from the High Commissioner.
This call is not new; Algeria previously sought further oversight on October 31 during the discussion of Security Council Resolution 2756, which renewed the mandate of the UN peacekeeping mission MINURSO. However, their attempts to expand human rights monitoring within this mandate were turned down by the Security Council; the last technical visit by a UN rights commissioner to the region was in 2015.
While Algeria pushes Morocco regarding rights issues, the UN Special Rapporteur, Mary Lawlor, has highlighted troubling human rights conditions within Algeria itself. Her report outlines several critical challenges faced by rights defenders, including their criminalisation for peaceful activism, the misuse of anti-terrorism legislation to quell dissent, and a worrying trend of impunity for human rights abuses.
Furthermore, Lawlor points to severe restrictions on freedoms of expression, assembly, and association, coupled with significant repression of civil society groups. Many human rights defenders reportedly lack faith in state institutions to support their efforts, complicating progress on human rights. The situation for these defenders in Algeria, she warns, has deteriorated, calling for urgent government action to rectify these issues.
During the UN Human Rights Council session in Geneva, Algeria called for international monitoring of human rights in Western Sahara, citing systematic violations. Despite previous requests, the Security Council refused to expand the monitoring mandate of MINURSO. Meanwhile, a report from UN Special Rapporteur Mary Lawlor raises serious concerns regarding the situation of human rights defenders in Algeria, highlighting issues of criminalisation and heavy restrictions.
In summary, Algeria’s recent proclamations at the UN shed light on significant human rights concerns in Western Sahara, advocating for increased international scrutiny and oversight. However, Algeria’s own human rights defenders face alarming repression and concerns within their territory, highlighted by the UN Special Rapporteur. This duality underscores the complexity of human rights in the region, necessitating immediate and concerted action from both nations.
Original Source: en.yabiladi.com
