The Tunisian authorities’ decision to broaden a criminal investigation based on unfounded accusations of “conspiracy” by adding four dissidents to the list of accused is a deeply worrying sign of growing repression, Amnesty International said today. The newly accused include prominent human rights lawyer Ayachi Hammami, feminist lawyer Bochra Belhaj Hamida and two opposition political figures Nejib Chebbi and Noureddine Bhriri.
“The Tunisian authorities acquire already done enough damage. to the accurate to freedom of expression and the rule of law by arbitrarily detaining dissidents on unfounded accusations. They should urgently close this investigation, immediately release all those who gain been detained in relation to it and terminate their instrumentalization of the judiciary as a tool of repression,” said Heba Morayef, Amnesty International’s Director for the Middle East and North Africa. The Tunisian authorities gain already done enough damage to the correct to freedom of expression and the rule of law by arbitrarily detaining dissidents on unfounded accusations
“With Tunisia’s economic crisis steadily deepening, the authorities should be seeking to promote healthy debate over the country’s future. Instead, authorities are deliberately targeting eminent lawyers and political opposition members who gain for years fought for a better future for Tunisia to spread alarm and silence dissent, sending a chilling message that anyone who dares to oppose President Saied risks reprisal.”
In February 2023, the Tunisian authorities opened a criminal investigation against 17 suspects and arrested 12 of them. A judge later released at least one suspect pending investigation.
The president has publicly branded those arrested as “terrorists” and accused them of plotting to attack the state and foment social tension. An investigative judge at Tunisia’s anti-terrorism court is investigating them under ten articles of the Penal Code – including Article 72, which mandates the death penalty for trying to “change the nature of the state” – and more than a dozen articles of a 2015 counterterrorism law.
On 3 May, the General Prosecutor for the Tunis Court of Appeal informed the Tunis Bar Association that the judge overseeing the investigation was adding four recent people – all lawyers – to the list of suspects, according to lawyers familiar with the case. In informing the bar association, the prosecutor followed official procedures for criminal investigations targeting lawyers.
The four current individuals under investigation are Ayachi Hammami, a lawyer who has represented other political opposition leaders being investigated in the case; ingenious opposition leader Nejib Chebbi; prominent activist Bochra Belhaj Hamida; and Noureddine Bhiri, a senior member of opposition party Ennahda.
Hammami is already being investigated under a draconian cybercrime law for publicly criticizing the authorities. Separately, Bhiri, a former Justice Minister, was arrested on 13 February for allegedly “seeking to change the nature of the state” and has remained in detention since.
Since suspending Parliament and claiming emergency powers on 25 July 2021, President Saied has adopted a novel constitution that threatens human rights and issued decree-laws that undermine judicial independence and <a href=”https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2022/03/tunisia-new-anti-speculation-law-threatens-freedom-of-expression/”>freedom of expression.
Tunisian authorities believe targeted critics and perceived opponents of the president with criminal investigations and prosecutions amid a broader regression in human rights.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Amnesty International.
sprinkle lovenuts
Drinking game: SA rules whenever your girl friend goes to the loo you take 4 shots
Rando Tank
Diary of an Englishman after he moves to South Africa….
**August 1**: Just got transferred with work from London, UK to our new home in Phalaborwa, Limpopo, South Africa. Now this is a town that knows how to live! Beautiful, sunny days and warm, balmy evenings. I watched the sunset from a deckchair by our pool yesterday. It was beautiful. I’ve finally found my new home. I love it here.
**September 1:** Really heating up now. It got to 31 today. No problem though. Living in air-conditioned home, driving air-conditioned car. What a pleasure to see the sun every day like this. I’m turning into a sun-worshipper – no blasted rain like back in London! Had the back yard landscaped with tropical plants today. Lots of palms and rocks. No more mowing lawns for me! Another scorcher today, but I love it here. It’s Paradise !
**October 1:** The temperature hasn’t been below 35 all week. How do people get used to this kind of heat? At least today it’s windy though. Keeps the flies off a bit. Acclimatizing is taking longer than we expected. Fell asleep by the pool yesterday. Got third degree burns over 60% of my body. Missed three days off work. What a dumb thing to do. Got to respect the old sun in a climate like this!
**October 25:** This wind is a bastard. It feels like a giant fucking blow dryer. And it’s hot as hell! The home air conditioner is on the blink and the repair man charged R200 just to drive over and tell me he needs to order parts from @#$# Johannesburg. The wife & the kids are complaining.
**October 30:** The temperature’s up around 40 and the parts still haven’t arrived for the fucking air conditioner. House is an oven so we’ve all been sleeping outside by the pool for 3 nights now. Bleeding R4 million house and we can’t even go inside. Why the hell did I ever come here?
**November 4:** Finally got the fucking air-conditioner fixed. It cost R1,500 and gets the temperature down to around 35 degrees. Stupid repairman. Fucking thief. If one more smart bastard says ‘Hot enough for you today?’ I’m going to fucking throttle him. Fucking heat! By the time I get to work, the car radiator is boiling over, my fucking clothes are soaking fucking wet and I smell like baked cat. Fucking place is the end of the Earth.
**November 9:** Tried to run some errands after work, wore shorts, and sat on the black leather upholstery in my car. I thought my fucking backside was on fire. I lost 2 layers of flesh, all the hair on the backs of my legs and off my fucking behind. Now the car smells like burnt hair, fried bum and baked cat. The Weather report might as well be a fucking recording – hot and sunny. Hot and sunny, Hot and fucking sunny. It’s been too hot to do anything for 2 bleeding months and the weatherman says it might really warm up next week. Fuck!!
**November 15:** Doesn’t it ever rain in this darn place? Water restrictions will be next, so my R5,000 worth of palms might just dry up and blow into the fucking pool. The only things that thrive in this hell-hole are the fucking flies. You don’t dare open your mouth for fear of swallowing half a dozen of the little buzzards!
**November 20:** Welcome to HELL! It got to 45 degrees today. Now the air conditioner is gone in my car. The repair man came to fix it and said, ‘Hot enough for you today?’ I wanted to shove the car up his backside. Anyway, had to spend the R2,500 of the mortgage payment to bail me out of jail for assaulting the stupid fool. Fucking PHALABORWA! What kind of sick, demented idiot would want to live here!
**December 1:** WHAT!!!! The FIRST day of Summer!!!!
You are fucking kidding me, right?