Where is Djamel?

For several years we have been working on behalf of Djameleddine (Djamel) Fahassi, a journalist and married man, with one daughter, who was just 4 months old when he disappeared in Algeria on 6 May 1995. He was arrested outside a café in the district of al-Harrach (suburb of Algiers) by 3 men with walkie-talkies. He was forced into a car and has not been seen since.

Our focus has been three-fold:

• to write to the Algerian authorities to try to get information about Djamel, what happened to him, and where he is now;
• to try to draw attention in this country to the situation in Algeria;
• to support Djamel's family in their fight for the truth.

We are in regular contact with Djamel's wife, Safia, who is a member of a group of people in Algeria who all have 'disappeared' relatives or friends. Her e-mails paint a picture of everyday life and tireless campaigning which remain a constant inspiration for those working on his case.

15th anniversary

On 8th May 2010, to mark the 15th anniversary of Djamel's disappearance, we held an event in Cardiff city centre to publicise his case. We collected over 650 signatures and 100 photographs of shoppers with a "Where is Djamel banner" which we will present to the Algerian embassy and send to Safia to encourage her in her work.

Click here to see more photos

Background - human rights in Algeria

Up to 200,000 were killed in the internal conflict that ravaged Algeria in the 1990s according to official estimates. Thousands of people vanished after arrest, victims of enforced disappearance. Others were tortured. Many women were raped or enslaved.

Although the conflict has subsided, survivors and relatives of the victims continue to suffer because of the government’s failure to address adequately the legacy of grave human rights abuses committed by armed groups and the security forces. That failure is also undermining hopes for genuine national reconciliation and lasting peace.

Amnesty continues to call on the Algerian President to

• Repeal laws that entrench impunity benefiting perpetrators of human rights abuses and ensure that no immunity from prosecution is granted to anyone.
• Refrain from introducing new amnesty measures for members of armed groups alleged to have committed grave human rights abuses.
• Clarify the fate of the disappeared and provide their families with an effective remedy, including truth, justiceand full reparations.

Read Amnesty's report from August 2009 on impunity in Algeria for more details.

For the latest Amnesty reports on Algeria see the library pages of amnesty.org