Suppressing the trade union movement under the guise of combating terrorism

In a worrying development for freedom of union activity in Algeria, the Confederation of Trade Unions of Productive Forces announced the arrest of the head of the National Union of Culture Employees, Ali Mammeri, and his detention in pretrial detention on charges based on... Article 87 bis of the Penal CodeThis article is frequently used to level broad and vague charges against activists and unionists. The organization described his detention as "arbitrary" and aimed at silencing independent voices. His psychological state reportedly deteriorated after his transfer to Oum El Bouaghi prison.

Case details

On March 19, 2025, Ali Mammeri, a prominent defender of the rights of workers in the cultural sector, was arrested as part of a systematic campaign targeting independent trade unionists. Accordingly, the Confederation of Productive Forces denounced the repeated use of Article 87 bis, which defines “terrorism.” loosely, allowing unspecified charges to be brought against activists and trade unionists.

In June and October 2021, Algeria adopted amendments to the Penal Code and Executive Decree, expanding the definition of “terrorism” in Article 87 bis, allowing for the criminalization of peaceful dissent. A national terrorist list was also created without sufficient transparency, threatening fundamental rights and undermining the presumption of innocence.

It is worth noting that the International Labour Organization's Committee on Freedom of Association had warned in Her previous reports The abuse of this article and the Algerian government were called upon to comply with international standards relating to trade union rights, but these recommendations were not implemented on the ground.

What is happening to Ali Mammeri reminds us of the case of trade unionist Ramzi Dardar.

The case of Ali Mammeri reminds us of the case of Ramzi Dardar, the unionist who... Arrested in June 2021 Along with three other activists in Batna, they were arrested over social media posts. They have been held in pretrial detention since then, facing terrorism charges under Article 87 bis. After more than a year in prisonThey were acquitted, however, they remained banned from traveling and participating in international union activities.

International and local reactions

From the first moment of the arrest, the Confederation of Trade Unions of Productive Forces (CTUF) demanded urgent intervention from the Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO). Despite the ILO Director-General's disregard for this request, the case continues to take on more serious dimensions, as false terrorism charges are brought against peaceful trade unionists, in flagrant violation of the fundamental rights guaranteed by international agreements signed by Algeria, including ILO conventions related to freedom of association.

Urgent call for solidarity

In its official statement dated March 29, 2025, the Confederation called on human rights organizations and global trade union federations to take urgent action by:

1. Issuing public statements of solidarity with Ali Mammeri.
2. Raise the issue to UN Special Rapporteurs and support their request before the Director-General of the International Labour Office.
3. Exercising pressure on the Algerian government to stop these blatant violations.

The Confederation affirms that the continued repression under the pretext of "fighting terrorism" represents a serious deviation from the basic principles of justice and a threat to fundamental trade union rights guaranteed by domestic and international laws.

Ali Mammeri's case is not an isolated incident. Rather, it is part of a long series of arrests and targeting of unionists, journalists, and human rights activists in Algeria. The question that now arises is: Is "counter-terrorism" being used as a pretext to silence dissenting voices?

In the absence of adequate guarantees for a fair trial, the human rights landscape in Algeria appears to be worsening, necessitating urgent international action to halt this dangerous trend before it further jeopardizes trade union and fundamental freedoms in the country.