Specialized Session on “Algeria’s Independence from a Human Rights Perspective: A Comparative Reading from the Past to the Present”

The specialized session “Algeria’s Independence from a Human Rights Perspective: A Comparative Reading from the Past to the Present” was organized by the Human Rights Institute of the University of Isfahan (HRIUI) in July 2025. This discussion, held on the anniversary of Algeria’s independence, addressed the dimensions and aspects of Algeria’s independence and liberation from French colonialism. With reference to the foundations of human rights and a renewed interpretive lens, the session examined this historic event. Overall, the gathering provided a valuable opportunity for a profound historical and scholarly exploration of Algeria’s independence through the lens of human rights principles.

Session Information

• Moderator: Dr. Mohammad Ali Basiri, Faculty Member, Department of Political Science and International Relations, University of Isfahan
• Speakers:
  1. Prof. Ali Rastbeen, President of the Academy of Geopolitical of Paris, France
  2. Dr. Foued Ghedjati, Faculty Member, University of Bouira, Algeria
• Main Themes:
  1. France’s Responsibility for the Colonial Legacy: From Historical Denial to Reparative Obligations
  2. A Historical Re-reading of French Colonialism in Algeria: Narratives of Resistance
  3. The Role of the International Community and International Institutions in the Process of Decolonization and Algeria’s Independence
• Date: Tuesday, July 22, 2025
• Time: 19:00–21:00
• Platform: Google Meet

Report of Presentations

Prof. Ali Rastbeen opened his remarks under the theme “France’s Responsibility for the Colonial Legacy: From Historical Denial to Reparative Obligations.” He emphasized that Algeria’s independence on July 5, 1962, cannot be considered merely a political event; above all, it symbolized human dignity and the manifestation of the Algerian nation’s right to self-determination. In his view, analyzing this independence is only possible through three core elements: first, the long and complex trajectory of colonial domination; second, the unfinished aspirations following the attainment of national sovereignty; and third, the heavy burden of historical memory, which continues to cast its shadow over Algerian society. Prof. Rastbeen stressed that France remains obligated to accept responsibility for its human rights legacy in Algeria, as this responsibility is inseparable from its colonial history. His key question was: What moral and legal responsibilities does France bear for its colonial past?

Reviewing the history of colonialism since 1830, Prof. Rastbeen explained that this process was characterized by expropriation, extensive economic exploitation, and the systematic marginalization of Algerians’ legal rights. The enactment of the “Indigenous Code” in 1881 institutionalized severe discrimination, reducing Muslim Algerians to the status of French subjects stripped of citizenship rights and fundamental freedoms. He pointed out that France’s acceptance of responsibility began very late: in 2001, slavery was officially recognized as a crime against humanity; in 2012, President François Hollande acknowledged the repression of October 17, 1961; and in 2021, the “Stora Report” offered recommendations for reconciliation between the two nations. Nevertheless, these measures remain symbolic and insufficient.

According to Prof. Rastbeen, Algeria’s independence was the embodiment of national sovereignty and legal equality; it was a collective moment reaffirming the people’s identity and political will, opening the path toward a state grounded in social justice and national cohesion. However, independence also brought challenges such as concentration of power, restrictions on political freedoms, media control, and democratic shortcomings—though progress was achieved in areas such as education. He added that despite Algeria’s accession to international treaties such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention Against Torture, fundamental freedoms, gender equality, and full enjoyment of rights have yet to be realized. This, he argued, reveals that independence remains a living and unfinished process.

He outlined France’s responsibility on two complementary levels:

• Moral responsibility: involving acknowledgement of historical truth, recognition of widespread human rights violations, and the initiation of honest dialogue with former colonies.
• Legal responsibility: based on international conventions, particularly the 1968 Convention on the Non-Applicability of Statutory Limitations to War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity, underscoring that France’s accountability for colonial crimes is not bound by time.

Prof. Rastbeen concluded that reparations—whether financial, symbolic, or institutional—remain a legitimate demand. While recent measures such as opening archives, establishing memorial days, and publishing historical reports are positive steps, they fall far short of delivering genuine reparative and memory-based justice. Algeria’s independence must be understood in the framework of human rights: the end of a system of domination, but simultaneously the expression of a demand for truth and historical recognition. He underlined that if France seeks equal and just relations with its former colonies, it must act with responsibility and political courage by embracing its past, implementing reparations, and pursuing historical justice.

Dr. Foued Ghedjati began his presentation, “A Historical Re-reading of French Colonialism in Algeria: Narratives of Resistance,” by stating that French colonialism in Algeria has been one of the most debated issues in both political literature and international law for the past two centuries. This debate resurfaced after the passage of the French Law of February 23, 2005, whose Article 4 referred to “the positive role of France’s presence overseas, particularly in North Africa.” Such claims provoked a wave of protests and historical critiques, as the realities of French colonialism clearly reveal systematic repression, human rights violations, and the cultural and social destruction of the Algerian people.

He highlighted that France has consistently portrayed itself as the cradle of democracy and universal values. The slogans of the French Revolution—liberty, equality, fraternity—were enshrined in the 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. Yet in practice, these values were confined to Europe and denied to colonized peoples. Within the colonial framework, human values were seen as the privilege of “civilized Europeans,” while Africans and Asians were deemed “inferior beings” to be subjugated or “civilized.” This logic, rooted in racial superiority theories and the so-called civilizing mission, framed colonialism not only as a political-economic act but as a moral duty.

He noted several key figures in shaping colonial ideology:

1. General Bugeaud: who described Algerians as a warrior nation that could only be subdued by continuous military force and repression, reflecting the logic of military superiority.
2. Jules Ferry: who theorized colonialism as France’s “civilizing mission,” openly declaring that superior nations had the duty to civilize inferior ones, and justifying colonialism as both an economic and civilizational necessity.

Dr. Ghedjati explained that over 130 years of French rule, millions of Algerians were victims of colonial policies. Methods of repression were highly systematic, including:

• Torture: widely institutionalized, with testimonies from lawyers, writers, and French soldiers confirming it was not an aberration but an organized policy. Special centers, such as the “Gendarmerie Center” in Skikda, were created to teach torture techniques.
• Executions and Massacres: for example, the December 11, 1960 demonstrations, where while French authorities claimed 61 deaths, independent sources reported nearly 600, an act amounting to crimes against humanity and genocide.
• Psychological warfare and propaganda: Algerian resistance was portrayed as a “small band of rebels” influenced by foreign powers such as Egypt or the USSR, undermining morale and delegitimizing the National Liberation Front.
• Internment camps and deportations: hundreds of thousands were confined in temporary camps to sever ties with the resistance and weaken its base.

He cited multiple works documenting these crimes:

• An Officer in Algeria by J.J. Servan-Schreiber.
• Publications of Christian Witnesses.
• Against Torture by Pierre-Henri Simon.
• Reports by French lawyers in 1957, confirming torture as routine practice in interrogations.

He further stressed the inherent duality of human rights in Western thought: while colonial powers presented themselves as defenders of rights in international forums, they simultaneously committed widespread crimes in their colonies. The silence of international institutions revealed France’s political influence and propaganda. Yet Algerian resistance, especially after December 1960, gained international dimensions, prompting numerous UN resolutions calling for decolonization. This proved that Algeria’s struggle was not a mere internal conflict but a clear case of the right to self-determination enshrined in international law.

In conclusion, Dr. Ghedjati emphasized that French colonialism in Algeria had no positive aspect or civilizing mission; it left behind crimes against humanity, systemic human rights violations, and deep cultural and social wounds. The contradiction between France’s claim as the “land of human rights” and its atrocities in Algeria revealed the instrumental and selective use of human rights in colonial policies. Thus, the 2005 law and similar claims of “positive colonialism” are nothing but distorted, justificatory narratives. History and collective memory attest to the need for responsibility, official apology, and reparations—not glorification of a bloody and painful past.

Dr. Mohammad Ali Basiri, as the session moderator, addressed “The Role of the International Community and International Institutions in the Process of Decolonization and Algeria’s Independence.” He highlighted the post–World War II context and the rise of independence movements, particularly in Algeria, stressing that global developments and international actors played a decisive role in accelerating or slowing Algeria’s path to independence.

The United Nations, as the foremost international institution after the war, gradually placed Algeria on its agenda in the 1950s. The adoption of multiple resolutions affirming the right to self-determination—including General Assembly Resolution 1514 of 1960, which formally declared the UN’s anti-colonial policy—demonstrated political support for Algeria’s independence. Yet France’s influence in the Security Council and its strategic alliances with major powers hindered decisive UN action, limiting its role largely to political declarations and cautious measures.

Dr. Basiri also emphasized the importance of other international platforms:

• The Bandung Conference (1955): a milestone of Afro-Asian solidarity against colonialism, where participants endorsed independence for nations such as Algeria, creating new diplomatic momentum.
• The Non-Aligned Movement: newly independent countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, sharing colonial experiences, provided diplomatic backing to Algerian independence movements.

These efforts—along with UN resolutions, condemnations of French colonialism, international pressure, financial and military support (particularly from the USSR), and mediation attempts—collectively played an important role in Algeria’s independence.

He also noted the critical influence of major powers: France, which from 1954 to 1962 treated the war as a matter of “territorial integrity” and employed repression, torture, and military operations to suppress independence; the United States, which initially sided with France but later, under global pressure, called for a political settlement; and the Soviet Union, the main supporter of the National Liberation Front, which provided broad political, financial, diplomatic, and military assistance as part of its strategy to expand influence in Africa and counter Western powers.

In conclusion, Dr. Basiri stated that despite geopolitical rivalries and the cautious stance of formal institutions, the international community played an undeniable role in Algeria’s decolonization. This role manifested through three main dimensions: political and diplomatic support, financial and military aid, and mediation or diplomatic pressure to end the war and secure independence. Algeria’s independence in 1962 thus stood as a clear example of how collective international solidarity and pressure could realize the right of peoples to self-determination, even amid great power conflicts.

Conclusion

Overall, the discussions demonstrated that Algeria’s independence was not solely a political or military development but a multifaceted and complex process, unfolding both domestically and internationally. On the one hand, it was the product of popular resistance against occupation, the relentless effort to preserve national identity, and the safeguarding of human dignity—resistance achieved at immense sacrifice, which ultimately imposed the will of the Algerian people upon colonial power. On the other hand, it was directly influenced by the support, pressure, and solidarity of the international community. The UN, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Bandung Conference, and backing from the Soviet Union and other anti-colonial states transformed Algeria’s independence into a global cause, legitimized within international law through the principle of self-determination.

The speakers emphasized that this experience was not only a historical event of the mid-20th century but also a living and enduring lesson. Colonialism was exposed as a grave violation of human rights and freedoms, leaving behind a legacy of structural discrimination, injustice, and deep social and cultural wounds that can only be addressed through acknowledgement, official apology, and reparations.

From this perspective, Algeria’s independence stands as a symbol of historical justice and human resistance against domination and denial, while simultaneously reminding contemporary colonial powers of their ongoing responsibilities. It illustrates that revisiting the past, critically engaging with history, and adhering to the principles of international law are essential prerequisites for establishing equal relations among nations and for realizing lasting peace and justice in the modern world.

Session Voice