Algerian activist Zakaria Hannache, who is currently living in Tunisia, risks being arrested and imprisoned, should he be extradited to Algeria.
Hannache sought asylum at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Tunisia to prevent his deportation to Algeria, where he faces terrorism-related charges according to the Algerian authorities.
He posted on his Facebook saying “In order to be protected, not be subjected to enforced disappearance, or handed over to the Al region authorities which are seeking my arrest for charges of terrorism, I had to go to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to seek asylum and protection, and I submitted my file there.”
The Algerian activist confirmed that he now holds refugee status under the protection of the United Nations, saying: “After a thorough study of my file and my situation and the judicial follow-up against me by the Algerian authorities, the High Commissioner decided to grant me refugee status as of today, and thus I became a refugee under the protection of the United Nations High Commissioner.”
He continued, “the Commission has confirmed that I am neither a terrorist nor a criminal, as the Algerian authorities have claimed.”
Hannache spent a period in prison in Algeria following a judicial prosecution against him for his human rights activity, before being released last March, however, the judiciary charged him again with terrorism, and he was summoned to a court hearing, along with journalist Ihssan Al-Qadi, and the session was adjourned indefinitely.
On 14 November, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders, Marie Lawlor, expressed “serious concerns about the arrest and detention of Hannache, as well as the charges raised against him, which appear to be directly related to his activities as a human rights defender.”
