Eight UN Mandate Holders Call on Algeria to Clarify the Cases of Ali Mammeri and Mohamed Tadjadit

🗓️ Published on: 08/02/2026

In an unprecedented and significant move, eight United Nations Special Rapporteurs and Working Groups have addressed an official communication to the Algerian authorities, requesting urgent clarifications regarding the situation of Ali Mammeri, a trade unionist and leader within COSYFOP,and Mohamed Tadjadit, a human rights activist and poet.

Issued on 8 December 2025under the UN Human Rights Council’s Special Procedures, the letter marks a qualitative shift in international engagement with the state of freedoms in Algeria. Both the firmness of its language and the diversity of the mandates involved reflect a high level of international concern over what the United Nations considers to be serious violations of fundamental rights.

Serious violations and direct questions from UN mandate holders

The letter addresses, in detail, allegations concerning:

• arbitrary detention,
• Torture and ill-treatment,
• the absence of fair trial guarantees,
• and the broad and controversial use of counter-terrorism legislation against peaceful activists.

The mandate holders stress that the arrest and prosecution of Ali Mammeri and Mohamed Tadjadit are directly linked to the exercise of rights protected under international law, including freedom of association, freedom of expression, participation in public affairs, and peaceful human rights activism. The letter also raises serious concerns that the legal proceedings may have been used as a means of intimidation or reprisal in response to these legitimate activities.

Strong political and legal implications

The significance of this communication lies in the fact that it is the first time such a diverse and substantial number of UN mandates have acted jointly to express concern over two specific cases in Algeria. This unprecedented coordination indicates that these cases are no longer viewed as isolated incidents, but rather as part of a broader pattern affecting public freedoms and the space for independent trade union and human rights work.

The letter places the Algerian authorities under direct international scrutiny, calling on them to provide precise legal explanations and reminding them of their obligations under the international treaties they have ratified, notably the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the conventions of the International Labour Organization.

Impact on the course of the cases

While communications issued under the UN Special Procedures do not constitute judicial rulings, they represent a powerful political and legal pressure tool. Such letters are frequently used as a basis for:

• international advocacy and litigation strategies,
• diplomatic and media pressure campaigns,
• and follow-up procedures before other UN human rights mechanisms.

By making the letter public, civil society actors—both inside and outside Algeria—now have access to an official and highly credible document that can be relied upon in the defense of political and trade union detainees.

Toward a new phase of international monitoring

In a regional and international context marked by growing attention to human rights and civic freedoms, this letter represents a turning point in the cases of Ali Mammeri and Mohamed Tadjadit. It may pave the way for further UN action should the Algerian authorities fail to provide convincing and satisfactory responses.

In this context, Raouf Mellal, President of the Trade Union Confederation of Productive Forces, stated:

“This letter from UN mandate holders represents a major turning point, not only because it is the first time such a diverse group of Special Rapporteurs and Working Groups has acted simultaneously, but also because it confirms the clear convergence between the struggles of independent trade unions, human rights defenders, and UN mechanisms.
For us, this letter will serve as a reference document on which we will base all our future complaints and legal submissions before international institutions, to demonstrate that the Algerian authorities are engaging in a dangerous misuse of counter-terrorism, exploiting a framework with regional and international security implications in order to suppress legitimate political, trade union, and human rights activities protected under international law.”

The full letter by the UN mandate holders can be consulted in its original French version on the website of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights: From here