Press release on the recent campaign of arbitrary arrests in Tunisia

Cliquez ici pour lire ce communiqué en français | اضغط هنا لقراءة هذا البيان الصّحفي بالعربيّة

Following the recent campaign of arbitrary arrests that affected many citizens and the arbitrary and systematic arrests of many activists related to the latest demonstrations and following the attacks, threats and harassment committed by security agents on the ground and on social networks, and following the arbitrary arrest and malicious trial against the activist Rania Al-Amdouni and the death of the young Salim El-Zayan in the detention centre of Sfax and following the very dangerous evolution of the violations,  of torture and arbitrary arrests without any respect for the law of and following the arbitrary arrest of Mahdi Barhoumi, Mondher Saoudi and Sami Hamid after the raid on their homes, sixty-one signatory organisations:

• Express their absolute solidarity with all those detained and arrested on malicious charges in connection with the recent demonstrations and wish to guarantee their right to defence.
• Denounce all the violations suffered by the detainees and persons arrested in relation to the recent events, in flagrant violation of human rights and in continuity with the repressive policies of the police state against which Tunisian citizens have revolted since the Revolution of Freedom and Dignity.
• The Head of Government in his capacity as head of the executive body and the Minister of the Interior in his capacity as head of the executive body and the political decision-makers are primarily responsible for everything that may happen to the people arrested and detained throughout this arrest campaign, whether it be torture, ill-treatment or any other human rights violation.
• Call on all those in authority to take full responsibility for fighting impunity, reforming the security system and reviewing the obsolete and unjust legal texts that were the tool of the repressive dictatorial system and which are now being used to repress peaceful demonstrations.
• Invite journalists to the press conference to be held on Wednesday 10 March 2021 at the seat of the National Union of Tunisian Journalists to express their position regarding the recent arrest campaign and the violations that have taken place.

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The signatory list is available (in Arabic) here.

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