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| Call for EU Action over Tunisia | Date: 19-03-2001 |
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HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANISATIONS CALL FOR EU ACTION OVER TUNISIA HUMAN RIGHTS CLAUSE IN ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT SHOULD NOT BE AN EMPTY SHELL AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL, AVOCATS SANS FRONTIÈRES, EURO-MEDITERRANEAN HUMAN RIGHTS NETWORK, INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS (FIDH), HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH, INTERNATIONAL SERVICE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, OBSERVATORY FOR THE PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS, REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS, WORLD ORGANIZATION AGAINST TORTURE (OMCT) With the European Union expected to delay its Association Council with Tunisia scheduled for next week, nine leading human rights organisations have issued a joint appeal for the EU to address serious concerns about the human rights situation in Tunisia. In an open letter to European Commissioner Chris Patten, the EU High Representative Javier Solana and EU Foreign Ministers, human rights organisations say the EU must address, in concrete terms, the deterioration in the human rights situation in Tunisia since the EU-Tunisia Association Agreement was signed six years ago. Human rights organisations point out that the EU-Tunisia Association Agreement contains a legally-binding human rights clause (art. 2), stipulating that relations between the parties shall be based on respect for human rights and democratic principles. "If ever there was a time for the EU to convene an Association Council to press for verifiable progress under the mandatory human rights clause, this is the occasion to do it," said the nine human rights organisations. Their open letter states: "In this context and in light of the increasingly grave attacks and restrictions on human rights defenders by the Tunisian authorities, the undersigned organizations call on the EU to urge Tunisia to fulfil its obligations under the Association Agreement and international human rights law, by among other things: freeing all persons detained for the non-violent exercise of the right to speech, association or assembly; restoring the right to freedom of movement; ending all forms of harassment against human rights defender; instituting effective safeguards to prevent the use of torture in police custody; instituting a credible system for investigations allegations of abuse inviting the UN Special Representative on human rights defenders to visit Tunisia." Full text of the open letter and background on the human rights situation in Tunisia. For further information contact: Amnesty International EU Office – Rue du Commerce 70-72 – B-1040 Brussels – Tel +3225021499 – Fax: +322 5025686 - e-mail: amnesty-eu@aieu.be Avocats Sans Frontières - 91, rue de l’Enseignement 1000 Bruxelles - Tél : + 32 2 223 36 54 Fax : + 32 2 223 36 14 - e-mail: asf@asf.be Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network - Wilders Plads 8H - DK-1403 Copenhagen K - Tel: +45.32.69.8910 - Fax: +45.32.69.8901 - e:mail: posten@euromedrights.net Human Rights Watch – 15, Rue van Campenhout – 1000 Brussels – Tel: +3227322009 – Fax: +3227320471 e-mail: hrwbe@hrw.org International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH) - 17, Passage de la Main d’Or – F-75011 Paris Tel: +33143552518 – Fax: +33143551880 - e-mail: fidh@fidh.org International Service for Human Rights - 1, rue de Varembé - P.O. Box 16 - CH - 1211 Geneva 20 CIC - Tel : +41 22 733 51 23 - Fax: +41 22 733 08 26 - e-mail: hrdo@worldcom.ch Observatory for the Protection of HR Defenders (FIDH/OMCT) e-mail: observatoire.paris@wanadoo.fr Reporters Without Borders – 5, rue Geoffroy-Marie – F-75009 Paris - Tel : +33144838471 - Fax : +33145231151; e-mail: moyen-orient@rsf.fr World Organization Against Torture (OMCT) - P.O Box 21, 8, rue du Vieux-Billard CH-1211 Genève 8 - Tél : + 41 22 809 49 39 Fax : + 41 22 809 49 29 e-mail : omct@omct.org |
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