In a rare humanitarian intervention against a backdrop of diplomatic tensions, the International Red Cross mobilized to come to the aid of Moroccans held in prisons in Algeria. This Monday, Algiers announced, in a vague manner, the release of a group of Moroccan detainees, an initiative long awaited by their families and supported by the Moroccan Association for Assistance to Migrants in Difficult Situations.
Release under the seal of opacity
According to sources present at the Moroccan-Algerian border, the release of these detainees takes place in a context marked by a total absence of transparency. Algeria has not specified the exact number of people concerned, simply announcing that they are Moroccans who have served their sentences. This opacity fuels the concerns of families and humanitarian organizations, who have long called for dignified treatment that respects human rights for these prisoners.
The Algerian authorities regularly expel former detainees, particularly from Tlemcen, by taking them to the border with Oujda. However, these temporary reopenings of the border remain rare, the most recent having taken place last May.
However, an intriguing question: why was the International Red Cross and not the Algerian Red Crescent called upon to play a key role in this matter? This choice underlines, perhaps unintentionally, the lack of confidence of the parties concerned in local mechanisms and highlights a broader problem of institutional credibility.
The Moroccan Association for Assistance to Migrants, very involved in this matter, indicated that these detainees, most of them manual workers, were convicted of serious charges such as human trafficking, money laundering, and illegal immigration. However, she points out unfair trials, where the rights of the defense are systematically violated. The intervention of the Red Cross thus seems to be an implicit recognition of the scale of the violations committed.
The testimonies collected by the association highlight detention conditions that it describes as inhumane. Moroccan detainees suffer from a cruel lack of medical care, deprivation of communication with their families and often humiliating treatment. These violations of fundamental rights are accompanied by a climate of generalized distrust towards these migrants, presented as “criminals” rather than victims of trafficking networks.
Hassan Amari, president of the association, denounced the recurring refusals of the Algerian authorities to grant amnesties, including on symbolic occasions such as the commemoration of Algerian independence. Worse still, severe sentences have recently been imposed on several young Moroccans, up to four years in prison for minor offenses, in trials described as unfair.
These convictions raise the question of their relevance: if these detainees have truly served their sentences as the Algerian authorities claim, why wait to release them and why keep their conditions of detention unclear until the last moment? These ambiguities cast a shadow over the real intentions of this gesture.
A key role for the Red Cross
The recent intervention of the International Red Cross marks a turning point. In response to insistent requests from the Moroccan association, the humanitarian organization announced an imminent visit to several detention centers in Algeria. This mission aims to assess detention conditions and ensure that the rights of prisoners are respected.
For the families of detainees, this intervention brings little hope. Also, we insist on the importance of maintaining international pressure to guarantee the release of Moroccans still imprisoned. It is recalled that 450 files remain open, including cases of worrying disappearances and even deaths in custody, for which Algeria refuses to return the remains.
The role of the Red Cross, although salutary, raises another question: is its intervention simply symbolic, or can it really influence the practices of the Algerian authorities in a country where human rights are often relegated to the background?
For years, the families of detainees have been going through an emotional ordeal. They denounce not only the absence of reliable information, but also the contempt of the Algerian authorities for the steps taken. Despite everything, they remain hopeful that one day their loved ones will be freed.
Towards increased international mobilization
The Red Cross recalls that most of these detainees only sought to provide for the needs of their families, before falling into the clutches of transnational criminal networks. The Organization calls for sincere cooperation between the two countries to resolve this humanitarian crisis, highlighting the historical and cultural ties that unite the Moroccan and Algerian people.
Faced with the inertia of the Algerian authorities, the Moroccan Association for Assistance to Migrants plans to bring the matter before international institutions in 2024. Several human rights organizations have already committed to supporting this approach. . This mobilization aims to end the suffering of prisoners and ensure that such injustices do not happen again.
The intervention of the Red Cross could mark a first step towards a resolution of this humanitarian crisis. However, for it to be fully successful, strong political will and continued commitment from the international community will be required. And, above all, a fundamental change on the part of the Algerian authorities to overcome the logic of denial and embrace that of transparency and justice.
