Algeria
10.02.00
Urgent Interventions
Algeria: Temporary Release of Nadhira Mesbah
URGENT APPEAL - OBSERVATORY
DZA 001 / 0001 / OBS 002.01
Temporary Release
Algeria
10th February 2 000
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the FIDH and the OMCT, was informed of the temporary release of Ms. Nadhira Mesbah.
New Information
The Observatory was informed of the temporary release of Ms. Nadhira Mesbah on 9th February 2000.
This release came after a positive decision by the court in response to an appeal by the defendants lawyers to postpone the trial. The next hearing is fixed for May 2000.
The Observatory is pleased with this decision, particularly in light of Ms. Nadhira Mesbah’s worrying health situation.
Brief reminder of the situation :
The Observatory was greatly concerned by the fate of the lawyer, Ms. Nadhira Mesbah, at the Algiers Court. Ms Mesbah was arrested on December 19th 1999 on a charge of fraud, and has been imprisoned since at the Blida prison.
Ms. Mesbah is about eight months pregnant and suffers from diabetes. According to the information, she does not receive appropriate medical care and the authorities have refused to transfer her to the nearest hospital. Her doctors consider that her life, as well as that of her baby, is in danger.
On Tuesday January 18th the civil tribunal of Blida refused to release her on bail and her trial was fixed for January 25th 2000. According to information received, the charge against her rests exclusively on the testimony of a client with a criminal record who had recently been condemned in a court of law.
Ms .Mesbah has been a lawyer since 1991 and the clients she has defended before the special court of Algiers,--a court set up between 1992 and 1995 in total contradiction with constitutional provisions in order to deal with matters of terrorism -- have included victims of torture.
Geneva-Paris 10th February 2000
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code number of this appeal in your reply.
The Observatory, a joint FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders and aims to offer them concrete support in their time of need.
To contact the Observatory, call the Emergency line
New coordinates :
Fax : 33 (0) 1 55 80 83 92 Tel FIDH 33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 OMCT + 41
22 809 49 39 E.Mail : observatoire@iprolink.ch
DZA 001 / 0001 / OBS 002.01
Temporary Release
Algeria
10th February 2 000
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the FIDH and the OMCT, was informed of the temporary release of Ms. Nadhira Mesbah.
New Information
The Observatory was informed of the temporary release of Ms. Nadhira Mesbah on 9th February 2000.
This release came after a positive decision by the court in response to an appeal by the defendants lawyers to postpone the trial. The next hearing is fixed for May 2000.
The Observatory is pleased with this decision, particularly in light of Ms. Nadhira Mesbah’s worrying health situation.
Brief reminder of the situation :
The Observatory was greatly concerned by the fate of the lawyer, Ms. Nadhira Mesbah, at the Algiers Court. Ms Mesbah was arrested on December 19th 1999 on a charge of fraud, and has been imprisoned since at the Blida prison.
Ms. Mesbah is about eight months pregnant and suffers from diabetes. According to the information, she does not receive appropriate medical care and the authorities have refused to transfer her to the nearest hospital. Her doctors consider that her life, as well as that of her baby, is in danger.
On Tuesday January 18th the civil tribunal of Blida refused to release her on bail and her trial was fixed for January 25th 2000. According to information received, the charge against her rests exclusively on the testimony of a client with a criminal record who had recently been condemned in a court of law.
Ms .Mesbah has been a lawyer since 1991 and the clients she has defended before the special court of Algiers,--a court set up between 1992 and 1995 in total contradiction with constitutional provisions in order to deal with matters of terrorism -- have included victims of torture.
Geneva-Paris 10th February 2000
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code number of this appeal in your reply.
The Observatory, a joint FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders and aims to offer them concrete support in their time of need.
To contact the Observatory, call the Emergency line
New coordinates :
Fax : 33 (0) 1 55 80 83 92 Tel FIDH 33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 OMCT + 41
22 809 49 39 E.Mail : observatoire@iprolink.ch