Avocats Sans Frontières in Tunisia
With its many violations of human rights, Tunisia is all too often featured in ASF’s actions.
The defence of an independent lawyer
December 2000. ASF supports Nejib Hosni, a Tunisian lawyer known for his commitment to human rights, during the trial instituted before the Kef Regional Court for violating a ban on practising. Hosni faced a five and a half year prison sentence. However, the pressure brought to bear following significant national and international protest led to the release of the lawyer in spring 2001.
Read more... (French version only)
The struggle for an independent judiciary
December 2001 - July 2002. Judge Mokhtar Yahyaoui was deprived of office because of his open letter to President Ben Ali denouncing the lack of independence of the Tunisian judiciary.
ASF sent a Belgian judge who supported Judge Yahyaoui before the Judicial Disciplinary Council. The organisation prepared a report which allowed it to raise significant support, in particular from judges, for the Tunisian judge and his case.
Read more... (French version only)
Defending the defence
February 2002. The independence of the Tunisian Bar Council is at stake. Outraged by what it deemed the insult to the rights to a defence in the caricature of a legal trial mounted against the political opposition leader Hammami, le Council called a one-day strike.
Six lawyers, known for their proximity to the party in power, took the Council to court to challenge the legality of this call for a strike. During this mission, ASF contributed to mobilising the Belgian and International Bar Associations in support.
Read more... (French version only)
Defending freedom of expression
February 2002. Zouhair Yahiaoui, better known as Ettounsi, is tried and found guilty of dissemination of false information and misuse of telecommunications equipment. The reasons: the creation and running of a political and satirical internet site, TuneZine, providing Tunisians with news that does not follow the official line. The young dissident was not present a the trial at first instance and was condemned without a right of appeal.
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