Paris, Tunis, March 3, 2011 – Violent clashes between armed factions and the police during peaceful demonstrations in the capital are reported to have caused at least 5 casualties, several injured and more than a hundred persons arrested since last weekend. FIDH is preoccupied that the transition towards democracy might be thwarted.
A delegation from FIDH which visited Tunis from 19–25 February, as well as representatives of FIDH in Tunis, reported numerous signs that give cause for concern that certain relics of the dictatorship under former President Ben Ali may not have been eradicated yet. As a matter of fact, some of the principal perpetrators of acts of torture and other grave human rights violations appear to enjoy complete impunity, while others continue to hold senior government positions and certain senior dignitaries of the regime of Ben Ali are reported to exert pressure against any transition towards democracy.
In addition, we are highly preoccupied about the death threats against certain political leaders and leaders of associations, and we strongly denounce the discourse on national television, calling for the execution of Mr. Mohammed Ghannouchi, the outgoing Prime Minister. We also denounce the action of certain groups which prevented meetings of the PDP and of the Ettajdid movement from taking place by force, as such actions do not help to consolidate democracy either.
Finally, the situation is extremely alarming at the border with Libya, with an estimated 10,000 migrants crossing the Tunisian border every day; that is more than 100,000 since the beginning of the uprising in Libya, while none of the vital humanitarian infrastructure to host those refugees is in place. Moreover, FIDH is concerned that certain relief structures might remain infiltrated by certain features of the former regime.
In this highly preoccupying context, FIDH and its affiliates in Tunisia:
– call for the entire democratic forces and the international community to get mobilised in order to prevent any attempt at thwarting the country’s transition towards democracy and the possibility of a counter-revolution;
– call for the immediate opening of investigations into the grave human rights violations committed under the regime of Ben Ali and since the beginning of the transition in order to pursue the perpetrators;
– call for clear communication on the part of the new government of Béji Caïd Essebsi about the destiny and situation of the principal instigators of oppression under the regime of Ben Ali;
– call for the dissolution of the political police;
– call upon the international community to support Tunisia’s capacities to host Libyan refugees and migrants at its borders.