Tunisia
22.10.01
Urgent Interventions
Tunisia : aggression, torture on Dr Amri
CASE TUN 221001
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT INTERVENTION in the following situation in Tunisia.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by a reliable source of an assault against Dr. Sahbi Amri.
According to the information received, Dr. Sahib Amri was attacked by four men on Tuesday 16 October 2001 at approximately 9 p.m. as he was getting ready to return to his father's home in El Manar near Tunis. After throwing him to the ground, his aggressors hit him on his face and his ribs, leaving him in a state of semi-consciousness. A neighbour called for help. Apart from one broken and two seriously damaged teeth, Mr. Amri is suffering from a cervical traumatism, multiple bruising around his eyes, swollen lips and injuries to this fingers. He has a medical certificate stating that he is unfit to work for 45 days.
According to Dr. Amri himself, the men who molested him belong to the political police. He wanted to file a complaint at the local police station, specifying that his aggressors were of the political police force but the agents on duty refused to accept such a reference in the complaint and suggested that he simply entered the complaint as "against X", which Dr. Amri refused. Therefore, no complaint has been filed.
According to our source of information, Dr. Amri's recent activities are at the root of this aggression. In particular the fact that he denounced the death of Commander Mansouri in 1987 at the Mediterranean Games which took place last September, and because of his well publicised intention of creating a Lawyers' Committee Against Torture.
The Secretariat of OMCT vigorously condemns this aggression and wishes to express its grave concern about the pressure that has been put on Dr. Amri for over 10 years, and the accompanying impunity.
Action requested
We request you kindly to contact the Tunisian authorities, urging them to :
1. take all necessary measures to safeguard the physical and psychological integrity of Dr. Amri;
2. order an immediate investigation into the circumstances of this aggression so as to identify those responsible, bring them before a competent court and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions foreseen by the law;
3. put a stop to the persecution and harassment of Dr. Amri;
4. guarantee the respect of human rights and fundamental liberties throughout the country, according to national laws and international standards.
Addresses
· H.E. Mr. Mohamed Ghannouchi, Prime Minister
Fax : +216 1 510 777 - e-mail prm@ministeres.tn
· H.E. Mr. Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, Head of State, Palais présidential de Carthage,, Tunis
Fax : +216 1 568 106/567 070 - e-mail : mju@ministeres.tn
· Mr. Dali Jazi, Conseiller spécial auprès du Président de la République chargé des droits de l'homme, Palais présidentiel, Tunis - Fax : +216 1 571314
· Mr. Salaheddine Maâoui, Ministre chargé des Droits de l'homme, Bureau du Premier ministre, Boulevard du 7 novembre, Tunis
Please write to the Tunisian ambassador in your country.
Kindly inform us of any action that you may undertake, quoting the code of this appeal in your response.
Geneva, 22 October 2001
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT INTERVENTION in the following situation in Tunisia.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by a reliable source of an assault against Dr. Sahbi Amri.
According to the information received, Dr. Sahib Amri was attacked by four men on Tuesday 16 October 2001 at approximately 9 p.m. as he was getting ready to return to his father's home in El Manar near Tunis. After throwing him to the ground, his aggressors hit him on his face and his ribs, leaving him in a state of semi-consciousness. A neighbour called for help. Apart from one broken and two seriously damaged teeth, Mr. Amri is suffering from a cervical traumatism, multiple bruising around his eyes, swollen lips and injuries to this fingers. He has a medical certificate stating that he is unfit to work for 45 days.
According to Dr. Amri himself, the men who molested him belong to the political police. He wanted to file a complaint at the local police station, specifying that his aggressors were of the political police force but the agents on duty refused to accept such a reference in the complaint and suggested that he simply entered the complaint as "against X", which Dr. Amri refused. Therefore, no complaint has been filed.
According to our source of information, Dr. Amri's recent activities are at the root of this aggression. In particular the fact that he denounced the death of Commander Mansouri in 1987 at the Mediterranean Games which took place last September, and because of his well publicised intention of creating a Lawyers' Committee Against Torture.
The Secretariat of OMCT vigorously condemns this aggression and wishes to express its grave concern about the pressure that has been put on Dr. Amri for over 10 years, and the accompanying impunity.
Action requested
We request you kindly to contact the Tunisian authorities, urging them to :
1. take all necessary measures to safeguard the physical and psychological integrity of Dr. Amri;
2. order an immediate investigation into the circumstances of this aggression so as to identify those responsible, bring them before a competent court and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions foreseen by the law;
3. put a stop to the persecution and harassment of Dr. Amri;
4. guarantee the respect of human rights and fundamental liberties throughout the country, according to national laws and international standards.
Addresses
· H.E. Mr. Mohamed Ghannouchi, Prime Minister
Fax : +216 1 510 777 - e-mail prm@ministeres.tn
· H.E. Mr. Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, Head of State, Palais présidential de Carthage,, Tunis
Fax : +216 1 568 106/567 070 - e-mail : mju@ministeres.tn
· Mr. Dali Jazi, Conseiller spécial auprès du Président de la République chargé des droits de l'homme, Palais présidentiel, Tunis - Fax : +216 1 571314
· Mr. Salaheddine Maâoui, Ministre chargé des Droits de l'homme, Bureau du Premier ministre, Boulevard du 7 novembre, Tunis
Please write to the Tunisian ambassador in your country.
Kindly inform us of any action that you may undertake, quoting the code of this appeal in your response.
Geneva, 22 October 2001