PRESS RELEASE, April 8, 1998

The Executive Committee of the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network has decided to send a delegation of inquiry to Tunisia in connection with the appeal process of Mr Khemaïs Ksila, Vice President of the Tunisian League for the Defence of Human Rights, Saturday 11 April 1998. The delegation consists of Mr Hans Kjellund, advocate of the High Court of Denmark, and Mr Mohammed Anik, member of the Moroccan Bar Council.

Mr Kjellund and Mr Anik will represent the Executive Committee of the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (the Network) at the appeal process of Mr Khemaïs Ksila and they will inquire about the situation of the Tunisian League, a member of the Network, as well as the situation of Ms. Radhia Nasraoui, lawyer and member of the Bar Council. The Executive Committee has forwarded a letter to the Ministers of the Interior and of Justice asking for a meeting for Mr Kjellund and Mr Anik in order to discuss the situation of human rights defenders in Tunisia. The decision to send a delegation of inquiry has been taken after the Executive Committee has been informed about recent measures impeding the activity of the Tunisian human rights defenders.

Mr Khemaïs Ksila has been sentenced to three years of prison for "defamation against the authorities, propagation of false information disturbing public order and inciting citizens to transgress the laws of the country". Recently three members of the Executive Committee Fadhel Ghedamsi, Abdelkarim Allagui and Salah Zeghidi have been subject to constant monitoring and shadowing by the police. During the month of February the President of the League, Mr Taoufik Bouderbala, has been summoned for an interrogation by the Public Prosecutor regarding the text of a Declaration, published recently by the National Council of the League, mentioning the situation of fundamental rights and liberties in Tunisia.

Mr Moncef Marzouki, former president of the League, and an individual member of the Network, remains deprived of his passport and denied his right to carry on his profession as a hospital physician. Two months ago, his brother, Mr Bedoui, was sentenced to six months in prison for resisting the forces of order. Ms. Radhia Nasroui, who is widely known for her activities in defence of prisoners of conscience in Tunisia, has been subject to measures of serious intimidation. Proceedings against her began on 30 March 1998 for a number of offences, the most serious of which is "maintaining connections with a terrorist organisation".

The objective of the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network is to contribute to the implementation of the principles of the Barcelona Declaration in the field of human rights and humanitarian concerns and to support the commitment of the signing partners to the association agreements with the European Union in the field of human rights, in particular article 2.

Copenhagen 8 April 1998