MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the case of Boualem Sansal in Algeria

21.1.2025 - (2025/2512(RSP))

with request for inclusion in the agenda for a debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law
pursuant to Rule 150 of the Rules of Procedure

Leoluca Orlando, Hannah Neumann, Catarina Vieira, Maria Ohisalo, Vicent Marzà Ibáñez, Nicolae Ştefănuță, Ville Niinistö
on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group

See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B10-0087/2025

NB: This motion for a resolution is available in the original language only.

B10‑0087/2025

Motion for a European Parliament resolution on the case of Boualem Sansal in Algeria

(2025/2512(RSP))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to Rule 150 of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas Boualem Sansal, a 75-year-old French-Algerian novelist, was arrested in November 2024 at Algiers airport and charged with "endangering the nation" under Article 87bis of Algeria’s Penal Code, which has also been used to prosecute many Algerian prisoners of opinion including journalists, activists, and human rights defenders;

B. whereas Algerian authorities may have arrested Sansal in reaction to his public expression of opinions, which are considered protected speech according to international human rights law and should not be criminalized;

C. whereas according to Algerian human rights defenders, at least 214 activists, journalists, and defenders are imprisoned for exercising their rights;

1. Calls for the immediate and unconditional release and acquittal of Boualem Sansal and all other activists, journalists, human rights defenders and individuals detained or sentenced for exercising their rights to freedom of opinion and expression, including Abdelwakil Blamm and Tadjadit Mohamed;

2. Reiterates the European Parliament´s grave concern about the trend of increasing repression of peaceful dissent inside and outside of Algeria’s borders, causing the weakening or disappearance of critical civil society organizations and the harassment of dissenting voices;

3. Express the European Parliament's solidarity with Algerians who have been peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression, association, and assembly, advocating for democracy, civilian governance, popular sovereignty, the rule of law, social justice, and gender equality;

4. Reminds Algeria of its commitments made by ratifying international human rights treaties and conventions, such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), that protect human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the freedom of expression; highlights that these values that are also at the core of the relations between the European Union and Algeria, as reflected in the EU-Algeria Association Agreement;

5. Urges the Algerian authorities to end reprisals, intimidation, and interference by executive authorities against lawyers and judiciary members handling cases of individuals detained for exercising their rights to freedom of association, expression, peaceful assembly, and belief;

6. Welcomes the speech of HR/VP Borrell from 27 November 2024, calling for the release of Boualem Sansal and calls on all EU institutions and Member States to strongly and openly condemn the Algerian authorities’ crackdown on the freedom of expression;

7. Calls on the European Commission and EU Member States to increase their efforts to raise all individual cases with the Algerian authorities on the bilateral, multilateral and EU levels and to increase support to human rights defenders, democracy activists and journalists;

8. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the HR/VP, and the Government and Parliament of Algeria, and asks that it be translated into Arabic;