For several WEEKS now, women have been subjected to murderous attacks in the South of Algeria; this has provoked international protests and calls for the intervention of the United Nations Special Rapporteurs.
It is crucial that these initial protests are relayed and supported by a large number of organisations across the world. The undersigned organisations
demand from the Algerian authorities that:
– attacks against women workers in Hassi Messaoud and in the neighbouring areas are immediately stopped by all legal means available to the government to ensure the protection of women, including by the mobilisation of additional police forces.
– medical and psychological assistance be provided to the female victims of these attacks
their reintegration to their work be ensured, after due recovery time
– investigations be immediately undertaken and the perpetrators brought to justice
call on civil society organisations to:
– send urgent protests to the Algerian government regarding its inaction in the face of such crimes
– as well as
to Algerian Embassies
– to concerned UN Special Rapporteurs, i.e. Ms. Rashida Manjoo, Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences ; Mr. Manfred Nowak, Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; Mr. Philip Alston, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions
– and to the ILO
ADRESSES :
President Abdelaziz Bouteflika: president[AT]el-mouradia.dz
Minister of l’Interior, Yazid Zerhouni: webmaster[AT]interieur.dz
Minister of Justice, Tayeb Belaiz: contact[AT]mjustice.dz,
President National Popular Assembly, Amar Saadani : info[AT]apn.dz.org
Supreme Court: coursupreme[AT]coursupreme-dz.org
AND :
http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/chr/special/communications.htm
by fax to +41 22 917 90 06
by e-mail à urgent-action[AT]ohchr.org
or by mail at: OHCHR-UNOG
8-14 Avenue de la Paix
1211 Geneve 10 Suisse
Mr. Philip Alston, Special Rapporteur on Extra Judicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions : urgent-action[AT]ohchr.org
Mr. Manfred Nowak, Special Rapporteur Torture and other crual, inhuman and degrading treatments or punishments :urgent-action[AT]ohchr.org
Ms. Rashida Manjoo, Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, its causes and conséquences : vaw[AT]ohchr.org
SIAWI - Secularism Is A Women’s Issue
WICUR - Women’s Initiative for Citizenship and Universal Rights
16 April 2010
* In the email addresses given above please put @ in place of [AT]