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| Another blow to the Tunisian League | Date: 07-09-2005 |
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Copenhagen, 07/09/05 Yet another blow to the Tunisian League
The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN) strongly condemns the Tunisian authorities actions against the Tunisian League for Human Rights (Ligue Tunisienne pour la Défense des Droits de l’Homme – LTDH)
This morning, September 7, a huge number of policemen were deployed to block the access to the head quarters of the LTDH. This followed a temporary ruling given by the district Court on 5th September to “suspend the convening of the congress of the LTDH scheduled to take place 9-11 September and to halt any preparatory work or actions in relation to these dates or any other date until a final ruling has been passed.”
This immediately enforceable ruling against the LTDH, one of the first human rights organisations in the Arab World and one of the few independent organisations in Tunisia, is yet another harassment by the Tunisian authorities running counter to all their international human rights commitments.
This is but the latest of numerous actions by the Tunisian authorities against the promotion and protection of human rights in Tunisia. The detention of lawyer Abbou for several months in a Tunisian prison, the recent aggression and harassment of members of the National Council for Liberties in Tunisia (Conseil National pour les Libertés en Tunisie - CNLT) are alarming examples of the degradation of the human rights situation in Tunisia.
The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network is outraged about these acts by the Tunisian authorities. The EMHRN reaffirms it strong support for the LTDH and the convening of its congress scheduled to take place 9-11 September 2005 as well as its support to all other human rights defenders in Tunisia.
The EMHRN calls upon the Tunisian authorities to immediately:
· Restore the fundamental right of the LTDH to convene its 6th national congress in Tunis without any interference from the authorities
· Halt the continued harassment, threats and intimidation of human rights defenders and the violation of the right of assembly, association, and expression
· Respect their international commitments as expressed in the human rights instruments as well as in the Barcelona Declaration, and article 2 of the Association Agreement between the EU and Tunisia.
The EMHRN furthermore requests the foreign ministers of the 25 EU member countries as well as the European Parliament explicitly to condemn these acts by the Tunisian government and demand that the Tunisian authorities act in accordance with the international human rights instruments to which they are party and to allow the LTDH to convene its congress without any interference.
For further information, please contact:
Marit Floe Jorgensen, information officer, EMHRN : mfj@euromedrights.net
Sandrine Grenier, Brussels coordinator, EMHRN: sgr@euromedrights.net
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