Arbitrary Expulsions: Victims Determined to Bring Algerian State to Justice

22 June 2023 Printable Version

Geneva - The Association of Moroccan Victims of Arbitrary Expulsion from Algeria is banking on the continued momentum of human rights to file an international lawsuit against the Algerian state, given the absence of genuine transitional justice mechanisms in that country.

Speaking on the sidelines of a symposium on transitional justice in Algeria, held in Geneva on Wednesday, the president of the Association, Miloud Chaouch, noted that the historical, moral, and legal responsibility of the Algerian state is clear, which leaves no room for complacency in the pursuit of justice.

"The Algerian authorities decided to expel us arbitrarily in 1975, on the day of the Eid Al-Adha celebration, disregarding its sacred nature and noble values," he told MAP.

"We will pursue all avenues of transitional justice to achieve reparation, but the real challenge is to take legal action against the Algerian state, whose historical and legal responsibility is undeniable," added Chaouch, who is still deeply affected by the tragic memory of his expulsion at the age of eight.

The association brought to light the plight of almost half a million Moroccans at parliamentary, associative, and political fora. "We have felt great solidarity during our actions across Europe, America, and Africa," he stated, pointing out the lack of media coverage for this issue, "which has prompted us to deploy intensive awareness-raising efforts, backed up by documents and live testimonies."

Given its inability to deny proven facts engraved in the memories and bodies of the victims, Algeria found no other excuse other than to claim that around half a million Moroccans did not have legal residence documents, he observed. It is morally unacceptable that Algeria would give such a justification when many Moroccan families have sacrificed their own lives for the liberation of Algerian soil.

The event was held by the Geneva-based International Observatory for Peace, Democracy, and Human Rights (IOPDHR) under the theme "Transitional Justice in Algeria: Truth-telling, Reparations, and Guarantees of Non-repetition... A Broken Path", on the sidelines of the 53rd session of the Human Rights Council.

On this occasion, Chaouch stressed that Algeria had committed crimes against humanity through forced displacement, confiscation of property, intimidation, and the elimination of Moroccans in 1975.