Articles for Tunisia

Alkarama and the Association of Victims of Torture in Tunisia (AVTT) are following with great concern the continued repression and prosecutions practiced by the Tunisian authorities against political opponents in general and leaders of the Ennahda Movement in particular. The Court of First Instance in Tunis held a trial session for former Minister of Justice and Vice President of the Ennahda Movement, Mr Noureddine Bhiri, on Tuesday, June 5, over a post on Facebook. 

On January 31, 2024, the Association of Victims of Torture in Tunisia (AVTT) and Alkarama submitted to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions (WGAD), the situation of Mr. Bechir AKREMI, magistrate, arbitrarily arrested and held in detention for almost a year today. 

Arrest and continued detention

On 18 December 2023, the Association of Victims of Torture in Tunisia (AVTT) and Alkarama submitted a joint contribution to the United Nations Human Rights Committee as part of the follow-up procedure to the recommendations made by the Committee following the 6th periodic review of Tunisia on the general human rights situation in the country. 

On 5 December 2023, the Association of Victims of Torture in Tunisia (AVTT) and Alkarama submitted to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions, the situation of Mr. Rached GHANNOUCHI, speaker of the Tunisian Parliament and leader of the opposition political movement, Ennahda, sentenced on 15 May, to one year in prison under the pretext of "apology for terrorism". 

On 26 June, several Tunisian human rights organisations launched a series of events to defend the right to life and human dignity as well as to fight torture in the country on the occasion of the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture under the slogan "No to torture!" 

On 21 April 2023, Alkarama submitted its contribution to the draft general comment of the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) on Article 4 of the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT).

On 12 April 2023, Alkarama, the Tunisian Association of Victims of Torture (AVTT) and Mr. BHIRI's lawyer Kilani Abdarrazak addressed the UN Special Rapporteur on torture regarding the situation of Mr. Bechir AKREMI, Tunisian magistrate and Mr. Noureddine BHIRI, lawyer and former Minister of Justice, both victims of torture during their arrest and/or detention by the police.

Arrest and detention of Mr. Bechir Akremi

The director of Alkarama, lawyer Rachid Mesli, participated in a conference on the situation of human rights in Tunisia, organised by the Association of Victims of Torture (AVTT) in the margins of the 52nd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council.    

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has expressed concern over the escalating crackdown in Tunisia against civil society and political opponents of President Kaïs Saïed.

The spokesman for the High Commissioner, Jeremy Lawrence, told reporters in Geneva that at least nine people had reportedly been arrested and some detained-on security and graft charges.

On 07 February 2023, Alkarama and the Association of Victims of Torture in Tunisia (AVTT) submitted to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, the situation of Bechir AKREMI, a Tunisian magistrate arbitrarily suspended and victim of intimidation and reprisals in the exercise of his functions.

The Tunisian judiciary in the hands of the executive