| EMHRN - Home > NEWS > EMHRN Releases > EMHRN Statements 1998 |
|
| Mission of inquiry into the case of Ksila in Tunisia 2 | Date: 24-04-1998 |
|
Tunisia: Second delegation of inquiry to the appeal process of Khemaïs Ksila The Executive Committee of the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (the Network) has decided to send a second delegation of inquiry to Tunisia in connection with the appeal process of Mr Khemais Ksila, Vice President of the Tunisian League for Human Rights, Saturday 25 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 were sent on a first mission, 11 April 1998, to assist as observers at the appeal process of Mr Khemaïs Ksila. After two hours pleadings and speech for the defence, in particular of M. Taoufik Bouderbala, President of the League, the prosecution applied and obtained for a stay of the proceedings until 25 April 1998. The alleged reason was that the original criminal record was missing from the documents of the case. 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". The decision to send a second delegation of inquiry was been taken after Mr Kjellund and Mr Anik had expressed their concern to the Executive Committee about recent measures impeding the activity of the Tunisian human rights defenders. Three members of the Executive Committee of the League, Fadhel Ghedamsi, Abdelkarim Allagui and Salah Zeghidi, as well as other members, are subject to constant monitoring and shadowing by the police. During the month of February, 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 Nasraoui, 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 24 April 1998 |
|
| Back to News List |
