Tunisian lawyers deplore authority practices
Tunisia, Politics, 11/24/2003

The Tunisian lawyers deplores the harassment they are exposed to and the human rights violations in Tunisia.

Chairman of the Tunisian bar association, Bashir al-Sayed, in Paris denounced the violations in the field of the human rights, by having the victims provided needed legal defense, at a time when the Tunisian female lawyer Radia al-Nasrawi is observing a hunger strike since more than five weeks in the capital, Tunis.

Al-Sayed, who himself is exposed to harassments, extended an appeal, during a meeting organized by the Tunisian societies in France on Saturday, to the French and international public stating that the right to to provide legal defense is vulnerable in Tunisia, stressing that human rights cannot exist without the such a fundamental right (to have legal defense).

Al-Sayed said that the case of Radia al-Nasrawi "reflects the general conditions of Tunisian lawyers and their daily sufferings," noting in particular the besiege by members of the intelligence of their offices, and preventing them from visiting their clients under detention.

An official source described the allegations of Radia al-Nasrawi as "groundless." However, Roland Kiso, member of the central committee for human rights in Paris, said that he had made sure of the fact that the police members were continuously following Radia al-Nasrwai.

Meantime, the French President Jacque Chirac will head for Tunisia on December 3rd to attend the first summit of the presidents of five + five group, which includes the five member states of the Arab Maghreb ( Algeria, Morocco, Libya, Mauritania and Tunisia " and five southern European states ( Italy, Spain, France, Portugal and Malta.) The French Socialist party on Thursday called on Tunisia to honor human rights, describing the Radia al- Nasrwai case as "very annoying." He also called on the French authorities to carry out all initiatives to ensure the end of this tragic situation.

Member in the committee for human rights in Tunisia, Khamis al-Shammari, explained that "a memorandum" on the status of human rights will be handed over to the five southern European states taking part in the summit in Tunis.

Previous Stories:
  Warnings against deterioration of prisoners conditions in Tunisia   (11/4/2003)
  Ben Ali calls for international protection of the Palestinians   (11/3/2003)
  Al-Tareifi: on human rights conditions in Tunisia, 500 political detainees   (7/12/2003)

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