TAKE ACTION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

TORTURED WHISTLEBLOWER SENTENCED TO LIFE

Fourth UA 43.22

Mohamed Benhlima, a former military officer, whistleblower, and anti-corruption activist who was forcibly returned from Spain on March 24, 2022, is serving a life sentence in the Blida military prison stemming from the exercise of his rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. He has complained to the court of torture and other ill-treatment, including sexual violence, prolonged solitary confinement, and beatings at least six times since May 2022, but the Algerian authorities have not announced an investigation. Authorities must quash his convictions and sentences, drop any further charges stemming from his exercise of human rights, and release him immediately.

Urge the Algerian President, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, to release Mohamed Benhlima and quash his convictions and sentences - send your email using our email-writing tool.

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President

Abdelmadjid

Tebboune

President of the Republic of Algeria

Your Excellency,

I am writing to express my concern about the ongoing arbitrary detention and judicial harassment of whistleblower, activist, and former military official, Mohamed Benhlima, since his forced return from Spain in March 2022. His claims that he was subjected to torture and other ill-treatment, including sexual violence, while held at the Blida military prison in 2022, have not been investigated despite multiple complaints and statements in court.

Civil and military judicial courts have convicted Mohamed Benhlima at least four separate cases on charges stemming solely from his exercise of his rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association.

Mohamed Benhlima is held in the Blida military prison, where prison authorities have on occasion denied him family visits without providing a reason or only allowed him to see them for 10 minutes in the presence of guards.

I urge you to release Mohamed Benhlima, quash his convictions and sentences, and drop all the charges against him related to his exercise of his rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association. Pending his release, I urge you to ensure that he is held in conditions meeting international standards and to launch an immediate and effective investigation into his complaints of torture and other ill treatment. Finally, I urge you to grant him access to his family and lawyers and to refrain from any act of intimidation against them.

Yours sincerely,

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