After Algerian authorities shut down the pro-democracy protests known as Hirak, the number of dubious terrorism prosecutions has soared. Legal action has been initiated against NGOs and opposition political parties, while the crackdown on human rights defenders and the legal profession has intensified. Independent media also remains under pressure, with journalists being regularly imprisoned or prosecuted.
In late 2022, new laws were being drafted, including a bill restricting the right to strike in certain sectors of the public service that are deemed “sensitive.” There are also reports that the government has been working on a new media law. In addition, on June 19, 2022, the Council of Ministers examined a draft Law on Associations that, if approved, would restrict an association’s stated objectives to even more vague and imprecise general criteria, such as the “respect for national constants, principles, values enshrined in the constitution, national and territorial unity, the fundamentals of national identity, the symbols of the State and its institutions, national security and defence, public order and good morals.” Please see the Pending NGO Legislative / Regulatory Initiatives section below in this report for more details.