The case

On the evening of 1 January 1995, on the way to his animals, he was followed by several men in plain clothes. Witnesses report that the men apprehended Allaoua Ziou and took him by car to a police barracks. His family and friends have not seen him since then, nor have they had any official information about his fate and condition. Four other people from Héliopolis are reported to have "disappeared'' around the same time and under similar circumstances. Allaoua's brother, Mohamed Ziou, was arrested in September 1995, held in secret detention for 30 days, and then released without charge.

His family has written to the President, the Ministers of Justice and the Interior, the State Prosecutor, and the Observatoire national des droits de l'homme (ONDH). A brother, Djemel Ziou (who now works in Sherbrooke, Québec), has raised the case with the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances. There has been next to no response to all of these efforts. The family reportedly learned through unofficial channels within the police that for the first few weeks after his arrest Allaoua Ziou was held by the security forces in the Héliopolis region. Some 18 months after his "disappearance'', in response to enquiries from human rights organizations, the ONDH claimed that he was a terrorist who had joined the armed opposition — but this is a claim they make routinely about "disappeared'' people.
 

The context

Algeria has suffered civil unrest and violence for more than a decade, and abuses of human rights are common. Hundreds of people have been killed, both by security forces and by armed opposition groups. Thousands have been detained without charge or trial. Many have been tortured in detention; many have "disappeared''. For years it had been Algerian government policy to deny that "disappearances'' occurred there. Beginning in the autumn of 1997 a small group of courageous mothers of "disappeared'' people joined forces and succeeded in raising the issue in public. Security forces were not totally successful in blocking foreign journalists from spreading the word. Algerian human rights lawyers joined in; during 1998 members of the Algerian parliament raised the issue there; more and more families pressed for information; more and more public debate took place. The 'wall of silence' began to crumble. In response, the government acknowledged the issue and opened offices around the country where people can register complaints. Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who was elected president of Algeria in the spring of 1999, has made moves towards national reconciliation with the Islamist opposition. In July he announced the release of thousands of prisoners accused of supporting armed opposition groups. The Algerian public has shown widespread support for the process.

Amnesty International condemns and actively opposes killings and other attacks on civilians anywhere in the world by any individuals or groups who claim to act for political objectives, including armed opposition groups as well as those who have government authority. It focuses primarily on human rights violations by governments, and the responsibility of governments to abide by their international obligations. AI's campaigning has recently concentrated on "disappearances'' as the area with the greatest potential for improving the human rights situation in Algeria. By adding outside pressure to the pressure of brave people within the country, it hopes to further break down the wall of silence, so that the government will take further steps beyond merely acknowledging the problem. 

Latest developments

Secret exhumations from mass graves. Until recently nothing was known of what became of the disappeared in Algeria. But in december 2003 human rights defenders and families of the disappeared discovered in the province of Relizane in the area of Sidi M"hamed Benaouda, human rights defenders and families of the disappeared dug up the remains of a man who had disappeared and who could be clearly identified by distinctive clothing: this was Abed Saidane, a shopkeeper who disappeared in 1996. The remains of dozens of people were reportedly secretly exhumed from this mass grave site in January 2004. The remains, believed to be of civilians abducted and killed by a local state-armed militia in the mid-1990s, were apparently transferred to an unknown location in an attempt to conceal or destroy evidence of human rights abuses. No investigation has taken place into these deaths. Amnesty International is concerned that any mass grave site be protected in order to prevent further destruction of evidence and for investigations to be carried out. Only in this way can the truth of what happened to people such as Allaoua Ziou discovered.

"Urgent measures must be taken to ensure mass grave sites are protected wherever they are found," Amnesty International said. "No matter who is responsible for killing the people whose remains are buried at the sites, the authorities need to ensure that the evidence found is not then destroyed."

Amnesty International's call follows recent shocking reports that the remains of dozens of people were last month exhumed from a mass grave site in the western province of Relizane and transferred elsewhere in an apparent attempt to conceal or destroy evidence of human rights abuses. The remains are believed to be of civilians abducted and killed by a local state-armed militia in the mid-1990s.

What you can do

It is possible that Allaoua Ziou is already dead. Don't let this deter you. It is reasonable to hope that he is still alive. Other "disappeared'' people have later been released; and he is reported unofficially to have survived the perilous first few days. And even if he is dead, it is important for the government, and the nation, to acknowledge what has happened. It is important for the family to know what has happened and how they can move on with their own lives. Some of the points you may wish to make:

• Summarize the "disappearance'' of Allaoua Ziou.
• Ask that his fate, whereabouts and legal status be clarified. If he is dead, his family should be informed. If he is to be charged with a recognizable criminal offence, he should be tried by a court according to international standards. Otherwise he should be released immediately.
• Ask the government to ensure that all complaints and reports of "disappearances'' are investigated promptly, impartially and effectively by a body that is independent of those allegedly responsible and has the necessary powers and resources to carry out the investigation.
• Urge that the methods and findings of the investigation be made public.
• Request that the officials suspected of responsibility for "disappearances'' be suspended from active duty during the investigation.
• Urge that the relatives of Allaoua Ziou be given access to information relevant to the investigation and be entitled to present evidence. Complainants, witnesses, lawyers and others involved in the investigation should be protected from intimidation and reprisals.

Addresses:
 

Monsieur Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA Présidence de la République  El Mouradia  Alger  Algérie	Président de la République   telephone: +213 21 68 22 92 fax: +213 2 60 96 18 e-mail: president@el-mouradia.dz telex: 66044 / 66088
Monsieur Ahmed OUYAHIA  Palais du Gouvernement 18 rue Docteur Saâdane Alger Algérie	Premier Ministre / Chef du Gouvernement  tel: +213 21 732340 fax: + 213 21 719388 telex: 66217 / 66221
Monsieur Ahmed NOUI Palais du Gouvernement  18 rue Docteur Saâdane Alger Algérie	Secrétaire général du gouvernement
Monsieur Tayeb BELAIZ Ministère de la Justice        8 Place Bir Hakem     16030 El Biar              Alger Algérie	Ministre d’Etat de la Justice tel: +213 21 924 183 / 921608 fax: +213 21 921 243 / 921 701
M. Abdelaziz BELKHADEM Place Mohamed Seddik Benyahia                       16070 El Mouradia     Alger                          Algérie	Ministre d’Etat, Ministre des Affaires Etrangères tel: +213 21 504545 / 504343 fax: +213 21 504242 / 504141
Monsieur Yazid ZERHOUNI Ministère de l'lntérieur  18 rue Docteur Saadane Alger Algérie	Ministre d’Etat, Ministre de l’Intérieur et des Collectivités Locales  tel: + 213 21 732340 fax: + 213 21 736106 telex: 66341
Monsieur Ahmed OUYAHIA Ministère de la Justice 8 Place Bir Hakem El Biar, Alger Algérie	Ministre de la Justice   Fax: +213 2 21 95
M. Mustapha Farouk KSENTINI Commission nationale consultative de promotion et de protection des droits de l’Homme                      Palais du Peuple       Avenue Franklin Roosevelt Alger Algérie	Président tel: +213 21 230311 / 230314 fax: +213 21 239037 / 239005 telex: 67 644 CNCPPDH – DZ

Click here for information about human rights in Algeria.

 

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