Algeria, like every other country in the world, is being seriously affected by climate change, as well as by the pollution and fires affecting the countries of the Mediterranean. The ecological challenge is becoming ever more essential, especially as globalized neoliberalism is driving the intensive exploitation of natural and mineral resources, degrading the environment, disrupting biodiversity and displacing local populations against a backdrop of poverty and poor health.

Kamel Aissat, a university lecturer in Algeria, is leading the fight “for our environment”. An Australian company [1] is operating a zinc and lead mine in Bejaia, which poses a clear danger to the health of the population but also generates extra profits for the company and rents for Algerian executives. The project threatens to displace entire villages, damage the region’s flora and fauna, and pollute groundwater and a protected wetland with international label Ramsar.

This academic has been placed under judicial supervision and threatened with arrest, and banned from leaving the country, who called on scientific and associative experts, doing no more than warn of the serious risks of such a project. Before him, other “whistleblowers” such as Moad Gasmi, an anti-shale gas activist in southern Algeria, and Noureddine Tounsi, a “whistleblower” who exposed corruption in the oil industry, were heavily convicted. We denounce this repression, which criminalizes environmental whistleblowing, and demand justice for these prisoners of conscience.

Defending the environment is not a crime. This is why Moad Gasmi and Noureddine Tounsi must be released, all legal proceedings against Kamel Aissat must be dropped and his freedom of movement must be restored.

First signatures:

Fouad Abdelmoumni, human rights defender
Zoheir Aberkane, freelance journalist
Gilbert Achcar, academic
Hakim Addad, political activist
Lahouari Addi, sociologist
Abderezak Adel, university lecturer, trade union activist
Nadia Agsous, journalist and writer
Abderrahim Afarki, human rights activist
Mohammed Akkad, environmental activist
Cengiz Aktar, political scientist
Zineb Ali-Benali, academic
Ayad Ahram, human rights activist
Ali Aït Djoudi, President of Riposte internationale
Sanhadja Akrouf, feminist and community activist
Hala Alabdalla, filmmaker
Françoise Alamartine, EELV transnational
Tewfik Allal, community activist from Algerian emigration in France
Faïza Ameur, IT consultant
Youcef Ammar-Khodja, political activist, human rights defender
Soussou Ammour, feminist and political activist
Ghanima Ammour, poet
Salah Amrane, publisher
Mick Armstrong, National Executive Socialist Alternative (Australia)
Jacob Andrewatha, Socialist Alliance National Co-convener
Boualem Azahoum, community activist
Nordine Azzouz, journalist
Najib Bachiri, Berkane Man and Environment Association
Yamina Baïr, journalist
Etienne Balibar, philosopher
Ludivine Bantigny, historian
Malika Baraka, physician
Brigitte Bardet-Allal, retired literature teacher
Mohammed Bazza, community leader
Akram Belkaïd, journalist, writer
Nora Belmokhtar, community activist
Fatima Benagdi, citizen
Amara Benamara, Algeria Democracy and PEPS
Malika Benarab Attou, former EELV MEP, association president
Bachir Ben Barka, retired academic
Esther Benbassa, ecologist senator from Paris
Madjid Benchikh, former Dean of the Faculty of Law, Algiers
Raymond Benhaïm, economist, consultant
Najy Benhassine, economist
Nourredine Benissad, lawyer, human rights activist
Ghali Abdelmajid Beniza, anthropologist, CRIA
Monia Ben Jémia, academic
Saïd Benmerad, teacher, expert
Lynda Bennabi, citizen
Ali Bensaad, university professor
Aziz Bensadek, community activist
Fethi Benslama, psychoanalyst
Hayat Berrada Bousta, editor of "Maroc Réalités
Mohamed Berrahou, Association of Friends of the Environment (Oujda)
Olivier Besancenot, internationalist activist
Sophie Bessis, historian
Sandra Bloodworth, National Executive Socialist Alternative (Australia)
Manuel Bompart, NUPES MP
Mostefa Bouchachi, lawyer
Abderrahmane Bouchène, publisher
Hocine Boukella, artist
Ramdane Boukerbe, doctor
Mohand Boukerouis, consultant
Alima Boumediene, lawyer, EELV activist
Mouloud Boumghar, legal scholar
Omar Bouraba, political activist
Hassina Bourzah, educator
Souad Brahma, lawyer at the Rabat bar, women’s rights and human rights activist
Rony Brauman, doctor, teacher
Anne Brenac
Dimitrije Birač, political activist, Croatia
Léonard Brice, ecosocialist activist
Pierre Brunisso, lawyer at the Paris bar
Michel Capron, professor emeritus
Nadia Chaabane, feminist and human rights activist, former member of the Tunisian Constituent Assembly
Mohamed Chaouih, community activist (Association des Marocains en France)
Julie Chapon, geographer and trade unionist
Patricia Charton, EELV deputy mayor
Mina Cheballah, ecofeminist activist with Grana Nostra and the Tharwa n’Fadhma n’Soumer association
Patrick Chemla, psychoanalyst
Massensen Cherbi, lawyer, law lecturer
Mouhieddine Cherbib, human rights defender
Khadija Chérif, feminist activist
Alice Cherki, psychoanalyst
Huguette Chomski Magnis, General Secretary of Mouvement pour la paix et contre le terrorisme (Movement for Peace and Against Terrorism)
Kaddour Chouicha, trade unionist and human rights activist
Patrice Coulon, human rights activist
Ahmed Dahmani, retired academic
Michèle Decaster, anti-colonial activist
Monique Dental, leader of the “Ruptures” feminist network
Karima Dirèche, historian
Saïd Djaafer, journalist
Nacer Djabi, sociologist
Habiba Djahnine, filmmaker
Lyès Djebaïli, economic engineer
Nadir Djermoune, academic architect-urban planner
Bernard Dréano, Center for International Solidarity Studies and Initiatives (CEDETIM)
Alma Dufour, environmental activist, NUPES MP
Penelope Duggan, International Viewpoint
Simon Duteil, co-secretary of Union syndicale Solidaires
Nassera Dutour, President, Collectif des familles de disparus en Algérie (CFDA)
Dominique Eddé, writer
Amal El Bakri, Rapad Morocco
Ahmed El Haij, former president of the Moroccan Human Rights Association (AMDH)
Nacer El Idrissi, President, Association des travailleurs maghrébins de France (ATMF)
Tin Hinane El Kadi, academic
Suzanne El Kenz, writer, teacher
Driss El Korchi, community activist
Patrick Farbiaz, Pour une écologie populaire et sociale (PEPS) (Social and popular ecology)
Luc Farez, association director
Saïd Fawzi, General Secretary, Association for the Defense of Human Rights in Morocco (ASDHOM)
Wahid Ferchichi, academic
Abdelouhab Fersaoui, political activist
Diane Fieldes, National Executive Socialist Alternative (Australia)
Michel Filippi, philosopher
Jacques Fontaine, geographer, internationalist activist
Fouad Hassam, human rights defender (LADDH)
Yosra Frawes, feminist
Souad Frikech, human rights and community activist
Fred Fuentes, Editor, Links International Journal of Socialist
Fanny Gallot, historian, feminist and trade union activist
François Garçaut, citizen of the world
Michelle Garcia, feminist and internationalist activist
Franck Gaudichaud, history professor
François Gèze, publisher
Nacira Guénif, university professor
Ali Guenoun, historian
Hocine Guernane
Murielle Guibert, co-secretary of Union syndicale Solidaires
Ratiba Hadj-Moussa, sociology professor
Hamza Hamouchene, researcher and activist
Zaki Hannache, human rights defender
Mohammed Harbi, historian
Mhamed Hassani, writer
Pascale Hassoune, psychoanalyst
Ghazi Hidouci, economist, former minister
Pip Hinman, journalist, co-editor at "Green Left
Aïcha Jabrane, community activist
Ramin Jahanbegloo, philosopher
Mohamed Jaïte, lawyer at the Paris Bar
Kamel Jendoubi, former minister, human rights activist
Eva Joly, lawyer, former member of the European Parliament
Manu Kaci
Smaïl Kadi, specialist in business application design
Aïssa Kadri, sociologist
Monique Kaiser, anti-globalization activist
Myriam Kendsi, painter
Nabila Keramane, EELV environmental activist
Catherine Kestelyn
Tahar Khalfoune, academic
Chérifa Kheddar, community activist
Aurore Koechlin, sociologist, feminist activist
Aziz Krichen, sociologist
Abdellatif Laâbi, poet
Souad Labbize, poet
Lydia Labertrandie, EELV town councillor
Thierry Labica, academic
Kamal Lahbib, human rights defender
Eveline Lahlou, retired teacher
Annie Lahmer, regional ecologist councillor
Ilyas Lahouazi, political and human rights activist
Latifa Lakhdar, university lecturer
Jaffar Lakhdari, consultant
Samir Larabi , doctoral student in sociology
Antoine Larache, editor of "Inprecor
Abdeslam Lassal, Secretary General, Moroccan Human Rights Association (AMDH)
Salaheddine Lemaïzi, journalist
Philippe Leroyer
Kevin Le Tétour, co-secretary of the Sud Éducation federation
Patrice Loraux, philosopher
Djamila Loukil, photographer
Mohamed Lounas, economist, CGT confederal advisor
Michael Löwy, member of the Global Ecosocialist Network
Djemaa Maazouzi, literature professor
Insaf Machta, academic
Lotfi Madani, citizen in solidarity
Ahmed Mahiou, former Dean of the Faculty of Law, Algiers
Mustapha Majdi, community activist
Ziad Majed, university professor
Jan Malewski, editor of "Inprecor
Noël Mamère, former mayor of Bègles, former EELV member of parliament
Gilles Manceron, historian
Marc Mangenot, economist
Lila Mansouri, President of the Paris-Riposte internationale office
Gustave Massiah, economist
Henri Mermé, coordinator of Ensemble!’s international commission
Umit Metin, coordinator of the Turkish Citizens’ Assembly (ACORT)
Aziz Mkichri, human rights activist
Khadija Mohsen-Finan, political scientist
Kamel Moktefi, toxicologist
Marie José Mondzain, philosopher
Maati Monjib, historian, banned from leaving France
Aldjia Moulai, feminist anti-racist activist (Association Culture et solidarité)
Rabah Moulla, political activist Alternatv
Kamal Naït Zerad, academic
Youssef Thierno Niane, lawyer
Houssa Ouachrine, ADM Sala Al-Jadida
Abdelkader Ouchiha, nurse
Idir Ounnoughene, human rights activist
Lucien Perpette, trade unionist (retired), Belgium-Slovenia
Simon Picou, CGT activist, Ministry of Labor
Raymonde Poncet-Ramade, EELV senator
Christine Poupin, ecosocialist activist, NPA spokeswoman
Susan Price, Co-editor, Green Left
Patrick Radjef, entrepreneur
Aïssa Rahmoune, Vice-President, International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)
Youcef Rezzoug, journalist
Natalia Ribas Mateos, sociologist
Laurent Ripart, historian
Messaoud Romdhani, human rights activist
Pierre Rousset, community activist and internationalist
Khadija Ryadi, President of the Coordination maghrébine des organisations des droits de l’Homme (COMDH), winner of the United Nations Prize for Human Rights
Lana Sadeq, feminist and community activist (Forum Citoyenneté Palestine)
Djaballah Saighi, political activist
Saïd Salhi, human rights defender, vice-president of the Ligue algérienne de défense des droits de l’Homme (disbanded)
Marie-Claude Saliceti
Catherine Samary, feminist and internationalist activist
Si Ahmed Sidi-Menad, climatologist
Nedjib Sidi-Moussa, author and teacher
Catherine Simon, journalist and writer
Robert Simon, non-violent activist and environmentalist (EELV)
Michèle Sinapi, retired teacher
Tahar Si Srir, political activist (Collectif Libérons l’Algérie)
Francis Sitel, co-director of “ContreTemps” magazine
Saadi Sough, former vice-president of the Talsa association (Béjaïa)
Saïd Sougty, President of the Association for the Defense of Human Rights in Morocco
Benali Soussou, Association of Friends of the Sidi Maafa Forest (Oujda)
Joëlle Stolz, journalist and writer
Frédéric Supiot, consular delegate for the French in Belgium
Claude Szatan, community activist, CEDETIM
Marouane Tabti, doctor
Aurélien Taché, EELV MP
Taoufiq Tahani, academic
Hakim Taïbi, journalist, teacher
Tahar Takesrit, communications entrepreneur
Daniel Tanuro, ecosocialist author
Nadia Tazi, philosopher
Yassine Temlali, historian
Adel Thabet, political activist (Tunisian Workers’ Party)
Eric Toussaint, spokesman for CADTM international
Josette Trat, academic and trade unionist
Aurélie Trouvé, anti-globalization activist, NUPES MP
Miguel Urban, MEP, anti-capitalist activist
Philippe Vachette
Charlotte Vanbesien, FERC CGT secretary
Christian Varin, internationalist activist and trade unionist
Sam Wainwright, Socialist Alliance National Co-convener
Samir Yahiaoui, political analyst
Mourad Yefsah, senior information systems consultant
Salem Ziouche, entrepreneur
Abdallah Zniber, immigrant community activist in France