PUBLIC AI Index: MDE 28/008/2001
UA 273/01 Fear of "disappearance" / Fear of torture 25 October 2001
ALGERIA
Nacer Hamani (m), aged 36
Nacer Hamani was deported to Algeria from France on 16 October and arrested on arrival. His whereabouts are now unknown, and he is at grave risk of torture.
He arrived at Algiers airport at around 5pm, and was reportedly arrested as soon as he stepped off the plane, without passing through immigration control. When his lawyer contacted the airport police later that day, he was told that no one by the name of Nacer Hamani had arrived that day from France.
On 19 October, Nacer Hamani called his family and told them he was in custody at Algiers central police station. His lawyer went to the police station the next day, but was told that Nacer Hamani had been brought before the public prosecutor and remanded to prison. However the public prosecutor's office denied that Nacer Hamani had been referred to them.
This is the only information Nacer Hamani's family and lawyer have been able to obtain. By law, detainees may be held incommunicado for up to 12 days, but their family and lawyer have to be notified about their whereabouts: during this time they are at especial risk of torture.
[...]
algeria-watch.de
Besides, you should be aware of the bad blood between France and Britain over Islamic outfits in general, and Algeria in particular... A few weeks ago, Mr Charles Pasqua (again!) has publicly blamed Britain for giving shelter to "terrorist" Anis Naccache (*). As regards "bugging mosques", the French Gestapo runs hundreds of finks in all of them, listens to local, Arabic radio-stations, and, last but not least, uses the most vulnerable Arab immigrants (those waiting for their regular ID/working permits) as hatchetmen to handle dirty jobs (and possibly anti-US terrorism).
Gus
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