Algerian Military “We Kidnap and Torture And You Cant Stop Us”

Ismail Snabi’s Ordeal
A French-Moroccan man, Ismail Snabi, told Le Monde, that he was waterboarded and tortured by the Algerian Military, after being arrested during a jetski trip that turned fatal for two of his friends.
Snabi’s harrowing ordeal began on August 29, 2023, when he and three friends went on a jetski trip near the Moroccan-Algerian maritime border. The group got lost by night and strayed into Algerian waters, where they encountered Algerian coast guards. Two of Snabi’s friends, Bilal Kissi and Abdelali Mchiouer, were shot and killed by the coast guards. Snabi was arrested, while the remaining friend, Mohamed Kissi, managed to escape, and swim back to Morocco. But beyond this brutal arrest, it is the methods of torture used during his detention, in particular waterboarding (or torture by drowning), which reveal the extent of the abuses committed by the military regime with complete impunity.

A summary of the incident in this video from Le Parisien
During his year-long detention, Snabi was subjected to various forms of torture and humiliation. These included: repeated beatings, waterboarding with a bucket of water, burning his beard with a lighter, insulted with anti-moroccan insults, derogatory comments about the Moroccan monarchy, accusations of being an Israeli agent, being forced to recite verses from the Quran, being photographed with the bullet-riddled jetski as a “trophy“.
Snabi remembers jumping into the water under gunfire and, while reciting the Shahada (the Islamic declaration of faith believing he was going to die), then dragged into the Algerian military regime boat and being mocked who said, “You’re Jewish, why are you reciting the Shahada?” He was then tied up, forced face down in the military boat, and had a boot pressed against his cheek.
He was later sentenced to a year in prison, and paid 100,000 euros to be freed. Upon his release in August 2024, he received a veiled threat: “Don’t talk. Remember, you have family here.”
Ismail Snabi stayed silent, until the Boualem Sansal crisis broke out, which brought Algeria under international scrutiny among all international observers: NATO, French, Spanish, EU, U.N. Security Council.
What particularly deserves our attention, however, is an aspect that might pass unnoticed, but in fact constitutes the very heart of the repressive campaign launched by the Algerian regime against intellectuals and journalists. Through its attacks on figures such as Hichem Aboud, Kamel Daoud and Boualem Sansal, the message from the military regime in Algiers is unequivocal: “We can kidnap, torture, waterboard, and you can’t do anything about it”
What is Waterboarding?
Waterboarding is a torture method that simulates drowning and has been used for centuries, dating back to the Spanish Inquisition. The technique was later adopted and used in the Philippines, likely learned from the Spanish during their colonization of the islands. Throughout history, waterboarding has been employed by various actors, including: The U.S. military in the Philippines and Vietnam, The French in Algeria, The Japanese during World War II, The Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. More recently, the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) used waterboarding in its post-9/11 interrogation program, but later President Obama banned the practice due to concerns about its effectiveness and ethical implications. Oftentimes detainees would say anything for the torture to stop, including false intelligence and answers.

Amnesty International, already reported that the DRS, Algeria’s military regime’s intelligence agency, uses waterboarding with unsanitary materials like urine and sewage-soaked cloths. Waterboarding, regardless of the materials used, inflicts significant psychological distress and is widely condemned as torture, leaving lasting psychological scars on victims.
Amnesty International also revealed that the DRS employs a range of torture methods, including beatings, electric shocks, Undressing and humiliating the victim, Falaka, beating on the soles of the feet, Suspending the victim by the arms from the ceiling for prolonged periods until they provide information, Threats of arrest and rape of female family members. Victims are also often forced to sign interrogation reports they are not allowed to read, under threat of further torture. The DRS routinely holds suspects in secret detention, often in military barracks, without contact with the outside world.
The Heroic Stance of Kamel Daoud
The Amnesty Laws, which Kamel Daoud addresses in his book, are the reason why he is vilified by the Military Regime of Algiers. He exposes the truth about Article 46 of the legal code, which explicitly criminalizes any discussion of the Civil War. According to this article, “it is forbidden to teach, mention, draw, film, or talk about the war of the 1990s. Nothing at all.” This censorship carries severe penalties, three to five years in prison and hefty fines for anyone daring to speak out.
L’Article 46 of the HYPERLINK “https://www.interieur.gov.dz/index.php/fr/dossiers/168-la-charte-pour-la-paix-et-la-reconciliation-nationale.html”Charte pour la Paix et la Réconciliation Nationale protects individuals like Mohamed Mediene, Said Chengriha, Abdelkader Haddad, Djebbar Mehenna, and Hamid Oubelaïd from any investigation or legal prosecution in Algeria. This article criminalizes any critical discussion of their roles during the civil war, with punishments of three to five years in prison and substantial fines. The law grants comprehensive immunity to security forces for actions undertaken to protect the state. Article 45 of the decree implementing these laws explicitly states that no legal proceedings can be initiated against members of the security forces for such actions, and any accusations or complaints are to be summarily dismissed. This suggests that pursuing legal action against security forces for their actions, which fall under this broad definition, is practically impossible.
This law, which Kamel Daoud critiques, has sparked a full-scale violent media campaign against him and fellow intellectual Boualem Sansal. Both are targeted for questioning the Military Regime of Algiers and challenging the narrative propagated by the DRS (Algerian military intelligence). These intellectuals are immediately labeled as traitors. Simultaneously, state media and propagandists such as El Khabar, Ilyas Aribi (aka Abdou Semmar), Mohamed Larbi Zitout, and Said Bensdira contribute to the narrative that seeks to destroy them. They also work to elevate the military regime’s power, presenting it as omniscient and omnipotent. This portrayal aims to discourage any attempts at revolt or change, while critics are silenced by the regime’s overwhelming influence.
The greatest threat to the Military Regime of Algiers is the awakening of the population’s consciousness regarding its abuses. When the public becomes aware of how the regime has manipulated laws and events, it risks losing its grip on power. We cannot insist more: anyone who helps awaken the Algerian public will be vilified in an effort to maintain control and stifle dissent.
Why Can’t Algerians Do Anything About it?
This lack of accountability makes it challenging to bring legal action against Algeria’s security forces. Even when complaints are lodged against DRS officers, they are rarely investigated. The lack of transparency surrounding the DRS’s operations and the existing amnesty laws shielding security forces from prosecution raise serious concerns about the likelihood of a fair and impartial investigation. Several factors hinder the pursuit of justice against security forces in Algeria’s judicial system:
The broad definition of terrorism can be used to target individuals who criticize the government or security forces, making it risky to pursue legal action against them. Detainees’ lack of prompt access to legal counsel increases their vulnerability to coercion and undermines their ability to challenge their detention or report torture. The routine use of statements obtained under torture as evidence further disincentivizes legal action and perpetuates the cycle of abuse.
Kamel Daoud’s bold critique of this regime has made him a target. In his latest work, he directly challenges the regime’s suppression of historical truth, exposing the criminalization of any discussion about Algeria’s Civil War. Daoud’s refusal to conform has earned him the regime’s wrath, vilified for daring to confront its violent past. Now, it becomes clear why Kamel Daoud is being crucified by the very regime he dares to criticize: because those who speak the truth in Algeria are murdered, tortured, or silenced by force. The Algerian military’s impunity will end, but only when its people demand it.
The Algerian Population Must Revolt Now: Breaking the Chains of Impunity and Oppression
While Ismail Snabi’s account has been widely reported, exposing the vile allegations of waterboarding and torture at the hands of Algerian authorities, the regime ignores these atrocities. The Military Regime of Algiers has perfected the art of obstruction, blocking independent investigations and silencing any attempts to hold its military accountable.
This is not just an isolated incident; this is the modus operandi of a regime that thrives on brutality. As long as the Military Regime of Algiers is free to brutalize its own citizens with impunity, the world will continue to look the other way, complicit in its silence. Algerian laws are explicitly crafted to shield torturers and murderers, and Abdelmadjid Tebboune, powerless, only reinforces the power of this thug regime.
The international community must no longer turn a blind eye. We already know how this will unfold: Tebboune will ignore the cries for justice, and the military regime of Algiers will carry on its reign of terror. Nothing will change until the Algerian people rise up, tear down this regime, and take back their country from the hands of the war criminals and military leaders, namely: Mohamed Mediene, Said Chengriha, Abdelkader Haddad, Djebbar Mehenna, Hamid Oubelaïd, and Lotfi Nezzar.