imprisonment. The court convicted them of “inciting homosexuality” and “debauchery” under Article 338 of the Penal Code, and of breaking lockdown measures.
2. Algeria: Constitutional reform process undermined by crackdown (Press release, 25 June)
WORKERS' RIGHTS
ANGOLA
The Labour Code continued to restrict the right to form trade unions by limiting trade union federations and confederations to single occupational sectors; allowing only Algerian-born people or those who had held Algerian nationality for at least 10 years to create trade union organizations; and imposing restrictions on foreign funding for trade unions. The authorities continued to deny registration to the independent General Autonomous Confederation for Algerian Workers, which first filed its application in 2013.
INDEPENDENCE OF THE JUDICIARY The new Constitution failed to end the executive’s control over the judiciary and uphold judicial independence. In February, the Justice Ministry ordered the transfer of prosecutor Mohamed Sid Ahmed Belhadi to El Oued, 600km south of Algiers, two days after he had urged an Algiers court to acquit 16 people arrested for their peaceful participation in Hirak in January. The National Union of Algerian Magistrates described the transfer as “political punishment and retaliation”. Lawyers organized a national strike on 30 September and 1 October to demand respect for the rights of defence and fair trial.
DEATH PENALTY The Justice Minister announced on 11 October that a new law to prevent kidnapping would include capital punishment for child abduction resulting in the victim’s death. Courts continued to hand down death sentences. No executions have been carried out since 1993. 1. Algeria: End repression against Hirak activists and journalists amid COVID-19 (Press release, 27 April)
Amnesty International Report 2020/21
3. Algeria: Authorities pursue crackdown on Hirak, sentencing journalist Khaled Drareni to three years in prison (Press release, 10 August)
Republic of Angola Head of state and government: João Lourenço The security forces used excessive force to impose COVID-19 restrictions and dozens of people, including children, were unlawfully killed. Human rights defenders were arrested for disseminating health information and distributing masks and hand sanitizer to Indigenous communities. The rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association were restricted and activists faced arbitrary arrests and detentions. Commercial farmers colluded with government officials to forcibly evict agro-pastoral communities from their land, undermining their rights to food, water and housing. The government failed to guarantee the right to food for low-income families during the nine-month lockdown period.
BACKGROUND In February, international media disclosed the “Luanda Leaks” which revealed how former President dos Santos’ daughter embezzled state funds in offshore bank accounts. In October, President Lourenço said that his predecessor’s administration illegally withdrew US$24 billion from the country through fraudulent contracts with state oil and diamond companies. Also in October, the Public Prosecutor confiscated assets worth billions of dollars which had been acquired fraudulently by the former President’s military generals and his VicePresident. Economic and social conditions worsened amid the groundswell of pressure from youth who demanded that the President fulfil his promise, made during the 2017 electoral
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