COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT ALGERIA 29 MARCH 2010 UK Border Agency COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION SERVICE ALGERIA 29 MARCH 2010 Contents Preface Latest News EVENTS FROM 25 FEBRUARY 2010 TO 29 MARCH 2010 REPORTS PUBLISHED OR ACCESSED BETWEEN 25 FEBRUARY 2010 AND 29 MARCH 2010 Paragraphs Background Information 1. GEOGRAPHY........................................................................................ 1.01 Map ................................................................................................ 1.07 2. ECONOMY............................................................................................ 2.01 3. HISTORY.............................................................................................. 3.01 Early history to 1989 .................................................................... 3.01 Events between 1988 and 1998................................................... 3.02 Events between 1999 and 2009................................................... 3.03 4. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS...................................................................... 4.01 5. CONSTITUTION..................................................................................... 5.01 6. POLITICAL SYSTEM .............................................................................. 6.01 Political parties............................................................................. 6.04 Human Rights 7. INTRODUCTION..................................................................................... 7.01 8. SECURITY FORCES............................................................................... 8.01 Overview ....................................................................................... 8.01 Police............................................................................................. 8.03 National Police........................................................................... 8.04 National Gendermerie (including the Republican Guard) .......... 8.07 The Communal Guard and Legitimate Defence Groups ........... 8.09 Armed forces ................................................................................ 8.10 Other government forces ............................................................ 8.13 Intelligence agencies..................................................................8.13 Human rights violations by the security forces ........................ 8.16 Arbirtary arrest and detention .................................................... 8.16 Torture and extra-judicial killings ............................................... 8.19 Impunity ..................................................................................... 8.22 9. NON-GOVERNMENT ARMED FORCES ..................................................... 9.01 Overview ....................................................................................... 9.01 Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghred (AQIM) ................................... 9.02 Human rights violations by non-government armed groups ...... 9.09 10. MILITARY SERVICE ............................................................................. 10.01 Conscientious objection.............................................................. 10.07 Draft evasion and desertion ........................................................ 10.08 11. JUDICIARY ......................................................................................... 11.01 Shari’a ........................................................................................... 11.03 Independence and fair trial.......................................................... 11.05 12. ARREST AND DETENTION – LEGAL RIGHTS .......................................... 12.01 ii This Country of Origin Information Report contains the most up-to-date publicly available information as at 24 February 2010. Older source material has been included where it contains relevant information not available in more recent documents. 29 MARCH 2010 ALGERIA 13. PRISON CONDITIONS .......................................................................... 13.01 14. DEATH PENALTY ................................................................................ 14.01 15. POLITICAL AFFILIATION ...................................................................... 15.01 Freedom of political expression ................................................. 15.01 Freedom of association ............................................................... 15.04 Freedom of assembly .................................................................. 15.08 Opposition groups and political activists.................................. 15.10 16. FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND MEDIA....................................................... 16.01 Overview ....................................................................................... 16.01 Print media.................................................................................... 16.05 Radio and television .................................................................... 16.07 Internet .......................................................................................... 16.09 Treatment of journalists .............................................................. 16.12 17. HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS, ORGANISATIONS AND ACTIVISTS .......... 17.01 International NGOs....................................................................... 17.08 18. FREEDOM OF RELIGION ...................................................................... 18.01 Religious demography................................................................. 18.03 Christianity.................................................................................... 18.04 Proselytising and conversions ................................................... 18.07 19. ETHNIC GROUPS ................................................................................ 19.01 Overview ....................................................................................... 19.01 Berbers.......................................................................................... 19.05 Background................................................................................ 19.05 Current situation ........................................................................ 19.08 20. LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER PERSONS ..................... 20.01 Legal rights ................................................................................... 20.01 Treatment by, and attitudes of, state authorities ...................... 20.05 21. DISABILITY ........................................................................................ 21.01 22. WOMEN ............................................................................................. 22.01 Overview ....................................................................................... 22.01 Legal rights ................................................................................... 22.06 Political rights............................................................................... 22.09 Social and economic rights......................................................... 22.12 Family law.................................................................................. 22.12 Inheritance ................................................................................. 22.13 Marriage and divorce ................................................................. 22.14 Women and work....................................................................... 22.16 Violence against women.............................................................. 22.21 Homeless women ...................................................................... 22.27 Single women and their children................................................ 22.29 Abortion.......................................................................................22.31 Shelters and assistance for women ........................................... 22.32 23. CHILDREN.......................................................................................... 23.01 Overview ....................................................................................... 23.01 Basic legal information................................................................ 23.08 Legal rights ................................................................................... 23.09 Judicial and penal rights ............................................................ 23.09 Child protection...........................................................................23.12 Violence against children ............................................................ 23.14 Child labour................................................................................ 23.17 Education ...................................................................................... 23.19 Child care ...................................................................................... 23.25 Health and welfare........................................................................ 23.31 24. TRAFFICKING ..................................................................................... 24.01 This Country of Origin Information Report contains the most up-to-date publicly available information as at 24 February 2010 iii Older source material has been included where it contains relevant information not available in more recent documents. ALGERIA 29 MARCH 2010 25. MEDICAL ISSUES...............................................................................