SOFIANE
OUALI

Background and Work

Sofiane Ouali is an Algerian lawyer known for defending prisoners of conscience and individuals prosecuted for exercising their fundamental freedoms. He has been actively engaged in human rights advocacy and has worked closely with civil society actors throughout Algeria. In December 2023, he met with the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders during her official visit to Algeria, part of a broader effort to document the treatment of defenders in the country.

In 2023, Ouali was prosecuted in a separate case and fined 50,000 dinars in November. He was acquitted on appeal in April 2024.

The Arrest and Incommunicado Detention

On 9 July 2024, Ouali and other activists organised a peaceful sit-in in front of the Béjaïa court to protest the detention of human rights activist Mrs. Moknache. Following the gathering, several participants — including Ouali — stayed overnight at the apartment of a fellow activist.

At approximately 3:00 a.m. on 10 July 2024, plainclothes police officers from Béjaïa raided the apartment and arrested all individuals present, including Ouali. The authorities failed to notify his family or legal counsel of his arrest or place of detention. This omission contravenes Articles 51 and 51 bis of the Algerian Code of Criminal Procedure, which require judicial police officers to enable detainees to contact their family or lawyer and to inform them of the place of detention and the date of appearance before an investigating judge.

On 10 July 2024, Ouali's lawyers went to the central police station in Béjaïa to inquire about his whereabouts but were denied information. His family also sought information and were similarly refused. On 11 July 2024, the Béjaïa Bar Association contacted the public prosecutor, who confirmed that Ouali was being held at the central police station. Nevertheless, this information was not formally communicated to his family or legal representatives.

On 13 July 2024, police officers searched Ouali's family home and examined his personal computer.

From 10 July until he was brought before a judge on 18 July 2024, Ouali was held incommunicado. During this period, he was denied access to his family and lawyers, and no official information regarding his detention conditions was made available. These circumstances raised serious concerns of enforced disappearance-like conditions and violations of his right to defense.

Charges and Provisional Release

On 18 July 2024, Ouali was charged with alleged support for a terrorist organisation, dissemination of content considered a threat to national security, and money laundering. The investigating judge ordered his provisional release. On 29 July 2024, the indictment division confirmed the decision to release him provisionally.

Ouali remains under investigation on terrorism-related charges that have been widely criticised for their broad and vague formulation. Although he was released on bail, he remains under criminal prosecution.

Legal Proceedings and Ongoing Delays

Ouali's trial before the Criminal Court of Dar El Beida has been marked by repeated postponements. Initially scheduled for December 2025, it was adjourned to January 2026 and is now expected to resume sometime between March and June 2026. These delays prolong legal uncertainty and have a direct chilling effect on his professional activities as a lawyer and human rights defender.

Legal and Human Rights Concerns

Ouali's case presents multiple violations of international human rights standards. His arrest and incommunicado detention violated Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The failure to promptly disclose his place of detention created enforced disappearance-like conditions. He was denied access to legal counsel and family, undermining fair trial guarantees and due process rights. The use of broadly defined terrorism-related charges to target him follows a pattern of intimidation against human rights defenders. The prolonged pre-trial proceedings and repeated trial delays are inconsistent with the right to be tried within a reasonable time.

The arrest, incommunicado detention, search of Ouali's home, confiscation of his professional equipment, and ongoing prosecution under broadly defined terrorism and national security provisions amount to judicial harassment. His case reflects a broader pattern of intimidation and reprisals against lawyers and human rights defenders for the peaceful exercise of their professional and civic duties.