Peaceful Assembly

The right to freedom of peaceful assembly is severely restricted in Algeria, in both law and practice. Under the country’s Penal Code, it is a criminal offence- punishable by imprisonment- to organise or take part in an unauthorised gathering. In the capital Algiers, a complete prohibition on protests remains in force. In February 2015, nine labor rights activists were convicted and imprisoned, for taking part in peaceful protests. In December 2015, seven peaceful protestors were sentenced to one-year prison terms for participating in demonstrations in Tamanrasset.