Fethi Hamaddouche was released
PUBLIC AI Index: MDE 28/019/2007
13 November 2007
Further information on UA 124/07 (MDE 28/011/2007, 25 May 2007) Incommunicado detention/ fear of torture or ill-treatment
ALGERIA Fethi Hamaddouche (m), aged 24 or 25
Fethi Hamaddouche was released on 12 October on the eve of the Eid ul-Fitr feast, which follows the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Fethi Hamaddouche’s brother has confirmed that he was released without charge and is in good health. Prior to his release, he was last seen by his brother Samir on 5 March when he was in held in the custody of the Department for Information and Security (Département du renseignement et de la sécurité, DRS), at an army barracks in his home town of Mostaganem, west of Algiers. At that time, his brother noticed that Fethi Hamaddouche’s face was swollen. Fethi Hamaddouche had been held without any contact with the outside world since 5 March 2007.
It appears that Fethi Hamaddouche was probably detained in an unknown location in the capital, Algiers, as well as in the city of Chlef. Those detained by the DRS are often unaware of where they are being held and not informed of their place of detention. After his release he returned to Mostaganem.
It is not known whether Fethi Hamaddouche was tortured or ill-treated in incommunicado detention. He does not wish to speak about his time in detention. In Amnesty International’s experience, people who have been held by the DRS are often afraid to talk about their treatment in detention, in case this exposes them to possible retribution.
Samir Hamaddouche has thanked Amnesty International for its efforts to bring Fethi back home.
No further action is requested from the UA network. Many thanks to all who sent appeals.
