AAAS Scientific Responsibility, Human Rights and Law Program

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AAAS Human Rights Action Network

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FACTS OF THE CASE:

On 1 March 2001, Prof. Khadija Cherif was attacked as she was attempting to attend an informal meeting at the former headquarters of the National Council on Liberties in Tunisia (Conseil national pour les libertés en Tunisie, CNLT). Prof. Cherif is a sociology professor at the University of Tunis and President of the Tunisian Association of Democratic Women (Association tunisienne des femmes democrates, ATFD). A group of men in civilian clothes surrounded Prof. Cherif's car. As she attempted to turn her car around, the men reached through the open windows and repeatedly slapped Prof. Cherif in the face, and beat her on the neck, head, and breasts while screaming obscenities at her. Eyewitnesses identified her attackers as plainclothes police officers. A photograph taken during the attack appears to identify one of the attackers as the chief of police in the Medina section of Tunis.

Several other individuals were also attacked as they attempted to attend the CNLT meeting, including Prof. Abdel Kader Ben Khemis, a professor at the University of Sousse, and Sihem Bensedrine, a prominent journalist and the secretary general of the CNLT. The attackers prevented the meeting from taking place. Prof. Cherif and Prof. Ben Khemis filed a complaint with the local prosecutor's office, but have not received any response from the officials about their complaint.

On 10 March 2001, Prof. Cherif was attacked again on the step of a courthouse in Tunis. She was attending a court hearing to express her solidarity with Mokhtar Tarif. Tarif is the President of the League of Human Rights in Tunisia (LTDH) and was appearing before a judge on charges connected to his human rights work with LTDH. As Prof. Cherif was leaving the building, an unidentified man in civilian clothing attacked her, throwing her to the ground and trying to take a dossier that contained the details of the complaint she filed about the 1 March 2001 attack. She attempted to resist, but the man succeeded in prying the dossier from her hands and ran away.

Despite Tunisia's claim of a strong commitment to supporting human rights, the government suppresses dissent and sharply restricts freedom of expression and association. Human rights organizations must register with the government and are closely monitored. They are subject to media blackouts unless their declarations are favorable to the government. Individuals who speak out against the government and its repressive practices are often at risk of harassment, the denial of the right to travel, loss of work, or arrest. Common charges are "defaming the public order" or "spreading false information intended to disturb the public order."

The attack on Prof. Cherif is emblematic of the escalating level of repression against human rights defenders in Tunisia. In the last few months, several other human rights defenders have been subject to physical attack by Tunisian government authorities, including one against Lassad Jouhri, a former political prisoner. Mr. Jouhri, who uses crutches to walk, was attacked on his way to the CNLT. On 28 February, Naziha Boudhib, a member of the Association of Young Lawyers (Association tunisienne des jeunes avocats, ATJA), was attacked in the street and a file was taken from her possession.

(Sources of information for this case include: Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and the Campaign for Human Rights in Tunisia)

RELEVANT HUMAN RIGHTS STANDARDS

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

• Article 7: No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
• Article 9(1): Everyone has the right to liberty and security of person. No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest or detention. No one shall be deprived of his liberty except on such grounds and in accordance with such procedure as are established by law.
• Article 19(1): Everyone shall have the right to hold opinions without interference.

International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

• Article 12: (1): The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health. (2): The steps to be taken by the States Parties to the present Covenant to achieve the full realization of this right shall include those necessary for: (c) The prevention, treatment and control of epidemic, endemic, occupational and other diseases; (d) The creation of conditions which would assure to all medical service and medical attention in the event of sickness.

The Human Rights Defenders Declaration

• Article 11: Everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to the lawful exercise of his or her occupation or profession.
• Article 12(2): The State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the [Universal Declaration of Human Rights].

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

• Article 19: Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
• Article 05: No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Please send telegrams, faxes, airmail letters or emails:

• Condemning the attack against Prof. Khadija Cherif and other human rights defenders in Tunisia;
• Requesting a judicial investigation into the attacks of Prof. Cherif and Prof. Ben Khemis; and
• Reminding the Tunisian government of its legal obligations to protect human rights defenders and support freedom of expression and association.

APPEAL AND INQUIRY MESSAGES SHOULD BE SENT TO:

His Excellency Zine El Abidine Ben Ali
President of Tunisia
Présidence de la République
Palais de Carthage
Carthage, 2016
Tunisia


The Honorable Abdallah Kallel
Ministre de l'Intérieur
Avenue Habib Bourguiba
Tunis, 1001
Tunisia
Fax: 011 216 1 340 888


The Honorable Bechir Takkari
Ministre de la Justice
Ministère de la Justice
31 Boulevard Bab Benat
1006 Tunis
Tunisia
Fax: 011 216 1 568 106


The Honorable Dali Jazi
Conseiller spécial auprès du Président de la République,
chargé des droits de l'homme
Palais Présidentiel
Tunis
Tunisia
Fax: 011 216 1 571314

COPIES SENT TO:

His Excellency Ismail Khelil
Ambassador of Tunisia
Embassy of Tunisia
1515 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20005
Fax: (202) 862 1858

Please send copies of your appeals, and any responses you may receive, or direct any questions you may have to Victoria Baxter, AAAS Science and Human Rights Program, 1200 New York Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20005; tel. 202-326-6796; email vbaxter@aaas.org; or fax 202-289-4950.

The keys to effective appeals re to be courteous and respectful, accurate and precise, impartial in approach, and as specific as possible regarding the alleged violation and the international human rights standards and instruments that apply to the situation. Reference to your scientific organization and professional affiliation is always helpful.

To ensure that appeals are current and credible, please do not continue to write appeals on this case after 90 days from the date of the posting unless an update has been issued.

To verify the contents of this alert and/or the electronic signature, please download the signed file for this alert along with the Program's PGP Public Key.

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