the House of Human and Citizens’ Rights, an LADDH affiliate since 1990 that ran a library and documentation centre.4 In February, Abderrahmane Zitout, whose brother Larbi belongs to Rachad, a political group the authorities had arbitrarily labelled as “terrorist” in February 2022, went on hunger strike for the third time to protest against his prolonged pretrial detention related to his brother’s activism.5 On 23 February, the State Council, Algeria’s highest administrative body, suspended the political party Democracy and Social Movement and ordered the closure of its headquarters. In September, authorities arbitrarily prevented for the second consecutive year the political party Rally for Culture and Democracy from organizing its summer camp, planned for 28 September to 1 October in Batna . In July, a court in Algiers sentenced former military officer and whistle-blower Mohamed Benhlima to seven years’ imprisonment and a fine. Mohamed Benhlima had sought asylum in Spain in 2019, before he was extradited to Algeria in 2021. During a court hearing on 12 July, he told the judge that law enforcement officers had tortured him by stripping him naked, tying his legs and hands, and pouring cold water on him. He said he had also been sexually harassed, beaten and threatened. The judge did not order an investigation into these allegations. FREEDOM OF PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY Authorities did not amend Law No. 08-11 of 25 June 2008 to explicitly prohibit collective expulsions, nor did they adopt legislation implementing the UN Refugee Convention and its Optional Protocol. According to the Directorate of Surveillance of the Territory, an official police body in Niger, Algeria summarily expelled at least 18,302 migrants – mostly from West Africa – to Niger between January and December. Authorities continued to unduly restrict the right to freedom of peaceful assembly, including by arresting people ahead of planned protests. On 20 August, according to the National Committee for the Liberation of Detainees, at least 40 activists were arrested, including Soheib Debbaghi, Mohamed Tadjadit and lawyer Sofiane Ouali, to prevent a peaceful gathering in Ifri in eastern Algeria to commemorate the 1956 Soummam Congress, a historic event in the country’s fight for independence. They were released later that day. On 8 September, a judge in a tribunal in Amizour commune, northern Algeria, placed political activist Khaled Tazaghart under judicial control, confiscated his passport and banned him from travelling, on fabricated charges of “spreading false information” after he published on Facebook calls to gather peacefully in memory of victims of the wildfires in Algeria. TORTURE AND OTHER ILL-TREATMENT Judicial authorities continued to ignore testimonies of torture given in court. 76 FREEDOM OF RELIGION AND BELIEF Authorities continued to use Decree Law 06-3, which restricts religions other than Sunni Islam. They closed at least two churches, bringing to 31 the number closed since 2018. REFUGEES’ AND MIGRANTS’ RIGHTS WOMEN’S RIGHTS The Penal Code and Family Code continued to unlawfully discriminate against women in matters of inheritance, marriage, divorce, child custody and guardianship. In May, the authorities promulgated Law 23-04 against human trafficking, which mentions “prostitution”, sexual exploitation and forced marriage. This made the crimes punishable by up to 30 years in prison and fines, and by life imprisonment if the victim was subjected to torture or sexual violence. The activist group Féminicides Algérie recorded at least 36 femicides. Women’s rights groups continued to ask for femicide to be recognized as a crime. The State of the World’s Human Rights