Amnesty International expressed, on Wednesday, its “concern” about the health condition of Algerian activist, Hedi Lasouli, who has been in pretrial detention for 11 months and who has gone on hunger strike twice, calling for his release.
Al-Hadi Lasouli, a farmer and civil society activist, established in 2021 with other activists a committee to support and assist the families of detainees. He was arrested on June 21, 2021, but Amnesty International has not specified the charges against him.
???? Activist Hedi Lasouli began a hunger strike on May 3 in protest of his pretrial detention, which he has been under since June 24, 2021. His health has deteriorated significantly, according to his relatives and lawyer.
— Amnesty Algeria (@AmnestyAlgerie) May 16, 2022
The organization indicated in a statement that “the health condition of the activist Lasouli has seriously deteriorated, putting his life at risk, according to his family and his lawyer.”
“(Hadi Lasouli) has the right to release him until his trial begins,” said Hasina Oussedik, Amnesty International’s director in Algeria.
It called for “a profound reform of the law and practices of judicial authorities in order to limit the misuse of pretrial detention.”
On April 24, prisoner of conscience Hakim Debazi died while he was in remand prison, according to the Algerian League for the Defense of Human Rights.
He was arrested in February due to his posts on social media related to the movement in Algeria.
On Tuesday, Algerian Minister of Justice Abderrachid Tabbi confirmed that Dabbazi’s death was “natural” and occurred in the hospital, not in prison, in the first official response after the family decided to file a complaint against the Algerian state.
???? Justice Minister Abdul Rashid Tabbi said today that the detainee, Hakim al-Dabbazi, “sickened on April 17, and was transferred on the same day to the Beni Mesous Hospital, before his death 3 days later.”
???? According to the minister, the autopsy concluded a “natural death.” The autopsy report was delivered on April 28 to the family of the deceased.
— Amnesty Algeria (@AmnestyAlgerie) May 17, 2022
Debazi’s family, represented by his aunt, lawyer Sadiq Zakia Eloise, residing in Paris, filed a complaint against the Algerian state on charges of “manslaughter” and “failure to help a person in danger” and attached it to a compensation request of “one billion euros”.
Currently, about 260 people are still in prison in Algeria due to protests or issues related to the defense of individual liberties, according to human rights organizations.