Avocats Sans Frontières in Algeria
- Location: Algiers
- Date of creation: 2007 (development in progress)
- Team: 1 expat head of the mission and 4 local collaborators
- Objective: to guarantee widespread justice and a better defence of the most defenceless people
- Financing: European Union (EU) (80%), Belgium (DGCD) (20%)
Context
Algeria is recovering from the Civil War, which has split the country during the 90s. Since President Bouteflika put in place more civil policies, violence caused by terrorists has greatly diminished. However, although less frequent, brutal violence spread by the media persists.
Despite higher rates of growth in the last two years (6 to 7% of the GDP), the country remains poor. Income created by the enormous natural resources of the country (especially petroleum and natural gas) is inequitably distributed for the profit of a powerful elite and to the detriment of the rest of the population. There are numerous consequences: high poverty rate, 32% unemployment rate (affecting especially the young), massive rural emigration, severe housing crisis, etc.
Life is dangerous and the Algerian youth is disenchanted. The majority of the Algerians does not have confidence in a judicial system, which they do not perceive as being an objective process and which solely serves a corrupt, political elite. The most defenceless people do not have a fair access to jurisdiction. The lawyers taking care of litigations involving violations of the human rights are ostracized. The working of the judiciary counselling system according to the new law of the 22nd of May 2001 is not satisfactory: there is no provision of finances by the state, the lawyers in office have little motivation, the most helpless people are neglected.
In response to national and international pressure the Algerian government initiated a reform of its judicial system. ASF is supervising its good implementation in order to guarantee a more accessible jurisdiction for the Algerian citizens.
Description of ASF programme
The objective of the ASF program in Algeria is to guarantee a better access to jurisdiction and a better defence of the most vulnerable people.
On the spot, ASF aims to:
1. Improve jurisdictional access. ASF appoints lawyers (local and foreign) to ensure the right to defence for the weakest, namely:
- Women and children in precarious situations and victims of any sort of abuse.
- Victims of severe abuse and/or those whose human rights have been systematically infringed (in particular, violations of freedom of speech and freedom of the press).
- Victims of torture.
2. Strengthen the abilities of those involved in the protection of the most vulnerable people. ASF aims to support the work of Algerian lawyers by organising:
- Seminars to achieve sensitisation of and reflection about the intentions of lawyers and Algerian bars working along with NGOs on the spot.
- Two scientific university studies on the legal profession and counselling in Algeria. Finally, proposals submitted to the platform (see following point) and integrated in the reports of working groups put in place within the frame of the judicial system’s reform.
- The creation of a system bringing together lawyers, magistrates, the Algerian authorities and NGOs involved on a platform in order to draw up strategies to improve jurisdictional access for the most powerless.
Perspectives
This project has just obtained financing from the EU. The opening of a new ASF office in Algeria is planned for the coming months. Once installed, ASF has in mind specifically:
- To treat 230 dossiers within three years within the frame of the judicial system’s reform.
- To organize eight seminars bringing together dozens of participants.
- To publish the final reports of two studies (1.000 copies in Arabic and French) to inform the involved persons and to develop the work of ASF in Algeria.
- To assemble the platform annually.
- To publish 5.000 copies of the propositions to legislatively and practically arrange for an access to jurisdiction and judiciary counselling.
Interesting links
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ASF Programmes
