To All Living Things
Last Week's Column

Amnesty Action:
"Disappearance"/Fear of Torture in Algeria
by Kathy Gay

his week’s action from Amnesty International concerns the abduction last month of a journalist in Algeria, reportedly by members of the security forces. He has not been seen since being taken from his home, and his family has not been able to find out where he is or why he was detained. He had been arrested in January of this year but, after questioning, was released without charge. He writes for an Arabic-language newspaper called Political World.

Amnesty International is concerned that this man is being held solely because of his political opinions or his work as a journalist. The organization fears for his safety in light of the widespread practice of torture against detainees held in secret detention in Algeria.

Background Information

Individuals in Algeria are often abducted from the street or from their homes or places of work by members of the security forces. The security forces frequently do not identify themselves or present an arrest warrant, making such abductions look like they are being carried out by an armed opposition group. While some detainees are later released or brought before a judge, others are often found dead or are simply never seen again. And many of them are tortured.

During their period of secret detention, their families are unable to obtain any information on their whereabouts because police and gendarmerie stations refuse to acknowledge their arrest and detention.

How you can help

Please send a letter to Algeria’s Minister of the Interior as soon as possible, but no later than June 15, 1997. You may use the sample letter linked below or use it as a model to write your own letter. If you choose to use the sample letter, please cut off or delete all website information at the very top of the letter. If you choose to write your own letter, make sure that it is politely worded and non-partisan (i.e., not used as a vehicle for political expression). Care must be taken to ensure that nothing is written that will cause harm to this man or any other individuals currently held in detention in Algeria. Be sure to include both your name and address, as well as the date, on the letter.

U.S. airmail postage to Algeria is 60 cents.

Questions?

If you have any questions, just post a message to me (Kathy Gay) at the Pub, and I will respond as soon as I can. I greatly appreciate your interest and support.

To see the sample letter for this action, click here.

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Kathy Gay is a vegan, and has been a member of Amnesty International for nearly 10 years, where she has worked on numerous campaigns. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and is a business analyst for a leading California bank.

Kathy's column, To All Living Things, is a regular feature of VegSource On-Line Magazine.