Amnesty International has formally condemned the Algerian government for the “forced return” of former Tunisian lawmaker and asylum seeker Seifeddine Makhlouf, labeling the move a blatant violation of international law.
Makhlouf, the leader of Tunisia’s Al Karama coalition and a prominent critic of President Kais Saied, was reportedly handed over to Tunisian authorities on January 18, 2026, despite being a registered asylum seeker with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
According to a statement released on Monday, January 26, Amnesty International argues that Algeria bypassed its obligations under the 1951 Refugee Convention by failing to conduct a risk assessment or provide Makhlouf with due process to challenge his deportation. Sara Hashash, Amnesty’s Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, stated that the action constitutes “refoulement”—the forcible return of a refugee to a country where they face persecution. Makhlouf was immediately imprisoned upon arrival in Tunisia to serve sentences previously handed down in absentia.
Makhlouf had originally fled to Algeria in July 2024 to escape what human rights groups describe as arbitrary prosecution by Tunisian military courts. While in Algeria, he served a three-month sentence for “irregular entry” and was subsequently held in administrative detention. Amnesty reports that during this time, Algerian authorities repeatedly denied him access to UNHCR services, eventually transporting him to the border and handing him over to Tunisian police without notifying his legal counsel.
The rights organization warned that this incident sets a “dangerous precedent” for the treatment of political dissidents in North Africa. Amnesty is calling on Algerian authorities to clarify the legal basis for the transfer and is urging the Tunisian judiciary to annul Makhlouf’s previous convictions, advocating for a retrial that meets international standards of independence and impartiality.
MK/AK/fss/abj/APA