16
A HOLISTIC APPROACH
PRACTICE NOTE 5
STRATEGIC LITIGATION OF ENFORCED
DISAPPEARANCES IN AFRICA
desires are respected. The role of lawyers and activists should be to provide the expertise
required to channel those decisions into effective legal and non-legal actions. This will
require structuring the legal team to have the capacity to actively consult and support
the survivors throughout the lifetime of the case.
Psychosocial and Medical Support
Considering the serious harm caused by enforced disappearance, victims must have
access to ongoing support to cover their psychological, medical or social needs. Those
supporting the victims must ensure that the well-being of individuals is considered and
costed when planning the strategy. This may mean collaborating with NGOs who specialise
in providing such support to survivors of torture and enforced disappearance.
Other Forms of Support
Due to the risks that often exist when fighting impunity in enforced disappearance cases,
other forms of support might involve protection measures - legal and practical, including
relocation when necessary - and assistance in the development of advocacy, rightsknowledge and other skills. This may again require collaboration with specialist NGOs,
and a sufficient budget.
Featured profile: Nassera Dutour (Algeria)
Nassera’s son, Amine, was disappeared in Algeria in 1997 after the Algerian authorities
arrested him. He was 21 years old at the time of his disappearance. He was supposed
to meet his friends, but he never made it. Instead, a white car waited for him outside
his house. He was forced to get in and has not been heard from since then.
At the time of his disappearance, Nassera was living in France. She went back to Algeria
immediately and searched for Amine every day for six months, with no results. She
became very sick and had to return to France. From France, Nassera continued her search
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