CHALLENGES ALGERIAN AMBASSADOR
In face of the wide publicity given in France to Albert Roux's account of how he was tortured while under arrest in Algiers on suspicion of “collusion” with an underground revolutionary political opposition, the police chose the classic course of cops in all countries in such situations, They denied that Roux was "maltreated." And Boumedienne's government has chosen to help them cover up their foul violation of human rights.
The Algerian embassy in Paris issued a formal statement, declaring that the arrests were "not arbitrary" and the accusations
Qos
were "true." Moreover, "The Algerian government formally denies the alicuations according to which these persons suffered maltreat~
ment."' (Le Monde, September 29.)
In response to this, Albert Roux, addressed the following letter, dated September 29, to the Algerian ambassador:
"aA communiqué, issued by your embassy yesterday, denies that my comrades and I suffered torture during the time we were detained.
"Tf you do not consider maltreatment like strangulation under a person's foot, twisting of one's sexual organs, electric shocks through one's wet and naked body, water from a hose directed over an undershirt held against your face up to the point of suffocation, to be maltreatment, then Mr. Ambassador, I am quite willing to agree that we did not suffer maltreatment,
‘*But permit me to make the observation that the designation for such treatment -- and in all languages -- is hardly anything except 'maltreatment'! and 'torture,!
"Before describing this in Paris, we reported it in writing to Military Security during the time we were held by that service, telling how we were maltreated by the PRG [Central Intelligence]. The Military Security even assured us that measures would be taken. You know where to get the information, Mr. Ambassador.
"T will add that I have already consulted with an attorney in order to file a complaint, because I cannot agree to see men whom I considered my brothers dishonor the new Algeria, either by practicing torture or by covering up those who do,
"But if you prefer to submit the matter to an International Commission of Inquiry, I am personally prepared to help it, on con= dition of course that this Commission can conduct a thorough inves= — tigation and that it is granted full powers to secure information and testimony to establish the truth,
"T am ready, despite the revulsion I feel, to return to Algiers to identify my torturers and those among their colleagues who, without engaging in torture themselves, were accomplices,
"Your communiqué also says that our arrests were not arbitrary and that the accusation of violating the security of the state was true..
“Why, then, Mr. Ambassador, were we not brought to trial?
"Permit me to assure you, Mr. Ambassador, of my bitter disappointment."
~~ Qa ~