Algeria

Laws against “indecent acts” (Article 333 of the Penal Code) and “acts of homosexuality” (Article 338 of the Penal Code) contribute to widespread antipathy towards LGBTIQ people in Algeria. Although these laws do not explicitly mention transgender and gender-non conforming individuals, law enforcement officials often conflate gender identity with sexual orientation, and, as such, these laws are also used to criminalize non-government sanctioned gender expression and identity. There have been regular reports of police targeting, abusing, and arresting people on the basis of their presumed sexual orientation or gender identity. There is a strong and growing LGBTIQ civil society in Algeria, but government agencies have denied groups official registration, purportedly due to the aims of the organizations being in violation of “public morals.” Public officials and prominent religious leaders denigrate LGBTIQ people publicly, claiming that they are “un-Islamic” and “immoral.”