ALI
MAMMERI

Background and Work

Ali Mammeri is a public sector employee in Algeria and the founder and president of the Independent National Union of Employees in the Culture and Arts Sector, affiliated with the Trade Union Confederation of Productive Forces. He has worked to organize workers in the culture and arts sector and to advocate for labor rights in a context where independent trade unionism faces significant state pressure.

His union activity has made him a target. He faced repeated harassment before his arrest, linked to his efforts to build collective representation for public employees in a sector often neglected in labor law enforcement. The charges brought against him in 2025 include references to his correspondence with trade unionists and activists abroad—communications that were professional and union-related in nature.

The Arrest

On 19 March 2025, plainclothes police officers arrested Ali Mammeri at his workplace in Oum El Bouaghi. They did not present a judicial warrant. They did not clearly state the reasons for his detention. His family and lawyer were denied any information about his whereabouts.

For four days, from 19 to 23 March, Ali Mammeri disappeared into state custody. This period of incommunicado detention constitutes enforced disappearance under international human rights law. His family were left in fear, with no knowledge of whether he was alive, where he was being held, or what charges—if any—had been brought against him.

Information about his location was finally provided on 23 March 2025, ending the enforced disappearance but not the pattern of abuse.

Detention Conditions and Torture

Credible reports indicate that Ali Mammeri was subjected to severe ill-treatment during his detention. He was beaten repeatedly. He was forced to strip naked during interrogation. He was pressured to confess under duress. These acts amount to torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment prohibited under the Convention against Torture, to which Algeria is a state party.

On 27 March 2025, his mother filed a formal complaint alleging torture. The court clerk refused to register it. No investigation was opened. The failure to document and investigate torture allegations reflects systemic impunity for abuses committed against detainees, particularly those targeted for political or union activity.

Ali Mammeri remains in detention. Reports indicate that ill-treatment has continued.

Legal Proceedings

After the period of police custody, the case was transferred to an investigating judge. Ali Mammeri was charged with "glorifying terrorist acts" and "disseminating confidential information." The evidence cited against him included his correspondence with trade unionists and activists outside Algeria—communications that were part of his work as a union organizer.

His lawyer was not effectively notified in a manner that allowed full exercise of the right to defense. The charges were vague and broadly applied. Insufficient evidence was presented to substantiate the material elements of the offenses. The use of terrorism-related provisions to criminalize peaceful trade union activity and expression is a recognized pattern in Algeria and reflects the misuse of national security laws to silence dissent.

On 29 October 2025, the Criminal Court of First Instance of Oum El Bouaghi sentenced Ali Mammeri to 15 years in prison. On 1 February 2026, the Criminal Court of Appeal reduced the sentence to ten years. The reduction does not address the core violations: arbitrary detention, torture, and the absence of fair trial guarantees.

International Response and Ongoing Violations

Ali Mammeri's case illustrates multiple breaches of international human rights law. He was arrested without a warrant. He was subjected to enforced disappearance. He was tortured, and the complaint his mother filed was suppressed. He was denied effective legal representation and tried under laws designed to conflate union organizing with terrorism. His conviction rests on charges that criminalize peaceful expression and association.

His detention has forced him to abandon his work. His family live in constant fear. He has lost years of his life to a prison sentence that should never have been imposed. The Algerian authorities bear full responsibility for his safety and for the continuing denial of his rights.

The case requires urgent international attention, independent investigation into the torture allegations, accountability for the officials responsible, and Ali Mammeri's immediate release.