Algerian civil society denounces the illegal handover of Tunisian national Saif Eddine Makhlouf

🗓️ Published on: 27/01/2026

The Algerian civil society and human rights organizations signing this statement express their deepest concern and strongly condemn the extradition to Tunisia of Seif Eddine Makhlouf, a lawyer, Tunisian political opponent, and asylum seeker.

Seif Eddine Makhlouf was subject to politically motivated prosecution in Tunisia and had sought international protection in Algeria. As such, he was entitled to the safeguards enshrined in international human rights law and international refugee law, foremost among them the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits returning a person to a country where they risk persecution, arbitrary detention, torture, or other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment.

The signatory organizations denounce, with grave concern, a decision which—based on available information—reveals a failure to comply with Algeria’s international obligations, particularly those arising from the 1951 Refugee Convention, the Convention against Torture, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Algeria is a party. An extradition carried out despite a serious risk of severe violations of fundamental rights directly engages the responsibility of the State.

It is particularly alarming that, despite several formal requests, Algerian authorities refused to allow the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to meet Seif Eddine Makhlouf in order to conduct an individual interview and finalize the assessment of his asylum application. Such a refusal constitutes a clear obstruction of procedural safeguards, deprives the asylum seeker of the right to an independent and fair evaluation, and increases the risk of refoulement in violation of international law.

The extradition of Seif Eddine Makhlouf to Tunisia, despite the serious risks he faces, sends an alarming signal regarding respect for the rights of asylum seekers, political opponents, and human rights defenders in the region. It undermines international protection standards and contributes to the normalization of practices that run counter to the State’s legal commitments.

Accordingly, the undersigned Algerian organizations call on the Algerian authorities to:

• Promptly make public the legal basis for this extradition and the procedures followed;
• Strictly respect the principle of non-refoulement, in law and in practice;
• Guarantee effective and unhindered access for UNHCR to any person seeking asylum or international protection on Algerian territory;
• Ensure effective procedural safeguards, including the right to legal assistance, access to information, and an effective and suspensive remedy against any removal measure;
• Fully comply with Algeria’s international obligations regarding human rights and refugee protection.

The protection of asylum seekers and political opponents is neither a favor nor a variable to be adjusted: it is a binding legal obligation and a fundamental duty to respect human dignity.

Signatory organizations:

• Confederation of Trade Unions of Productive Forces (COSYFOP)
• Foundation for the Promotion of Rights
• SHOAA for Human Rights
• Collective for the Safeguarding of the Algerian League for the Defense of Human Rights (CS-LADDH)
• For a Democratic Alternative in Algeria (PADA)
• Riposte Internationale
• Collective of Families of the Disappeared in Algeria (CFDA)