STATEMENT BY HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS ON TWIN BLASTS IN ALGERIA

11 December 2007

The following statement was issued by Louise Arbour, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, on 11 December:

“I strongly condemn the twin bombing that targeted the Supreme Constitutional Court and United Nations buildings in the Algerian capital earlier today. There are no words to express the revulsion that such cowardly attacks against civilians provoke.

I extend my deepest condolences to the families of all the victims. Our thoughts are also with the many who have been wounded. I wish to express our shock and sorrow at the reported loss of lives of our United Nations colleagues. There is no justification for the senseless attacks against civilians anywhere, in the name of any cause or in perverted satisfaction of any grievance.

The United Nations lost staff members in a similar criminal attack in Baghdad on 19 August 2003, including my predecessor High Commissioner for Human Rights Sergio Vieira de Mello. I call on the renewed solidarity and commitment of all Member States of the United Nations, and of people of goodwill all over the world to denounce these vicious attacks on innocent civilians and staff members of the United Nations”.