The United Nations denounced on Friday, May 17 the “intimidation and harassment” of which lawyers and members of the media critical of the government in Tunisia are victims. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has urged the country’s authorities to respect the “rule of law” and release “those arbitrarily detained.”
While arrests against dissident voices are increasing in Tunisia, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights denounced on Friday, May 17, 2024 “the intimidation and harassment” of which lawyers and members are victims in Tunisia. media critical of the government and its migration policies.
During a press briefing, Ravina Shamdasani, the spokesperson for the High Commission in Geneva, denounced the searches against lawyers in the country, which “undermine the rule of law and violate international standards relating to the protection of the independence and function of lawyers” and constitute, according to her, “forms of intimidation and harassment”. On May 11, lawyer and columnist Sonia Dahmani was taken away by force by hooded police officers after she took refuge in the headquarters of the Bar Association. She is accused of spreading “false information”, after having made fun of the situation in Tunisia on a television set.
UN calls for lawyers to be released
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, urged “the authorities to respect and safeguard the freedoms of expression, association and peaceful assembly”, guaranteed by the International Covenant on Rights civil and political laws adopted by the UN in 1966. “The rule of law must be respected and people arbitrarily detained, including for having defended the rights of migrants and fought against racial discrimination, must be released,” demanded the High Commission. Tunisian President Kais Saied, for his part, defended the legality of these arrests and protested against Western criticism, which he described on Thursday, May 16 as “foreign interference”.
The UN is concerned about the increase in xenophobic discourse in Tunisia and abuses committed against migrants in recent months. “The human rights of all migrants must be protected and xenophobic hate speech must end,” the Office said. According to Ravina Shamdasani, the UN is very concerned “by the fact that migrants, mostly from south of the Sahara, as well as the people and organizations that come to their aid in Tunisia, are increasingly caught for target”. The spokesperson blamed “an increase in the use of dehumanizing and racist rhetoric against black migrants and black Tunisians” in the country, while the police arrested the activist on May 6 anti-racist Saadia Mosbah.