Category: Courts & Law

Fight Against Militants Ignites Debate Over Anti-Terrorism Law

Fight Against Militants Ignites Debate Over Anti-Terrorism Law

| 09 May 2013 | 2 Comments

Facing the threat of allegedly Al Qaeda-linked militants near the country’s western border, the Tunisian government has called for enforcement of anti-terrorism legislation. But Tunisia’s existing anti-terrorism law, adopted in 2003 during the regime of former President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, has been widely criticized by politicians and international human rights groups for its overly [...]

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Dean Acquitted of Assaulting Veiled Student

Dean Acquitted of Assaulting Veiled Student

| 02 May 2013 | 5 Comments

The dean of a Tunisian university accused of assaulting a veiled female student was acquitted Thursday. Two female students, including Fatouma Haji, the one who accused him of assault, were convicted of damaging the dean’s property and each received postponed four-month sentences. In a press conference following the verdict’s announcement, Dean Habib Kazdaghli said he thanked [...]

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Sentence Upheld for Man Convicted of Insulting Islam

Sentence Upheld for Man Convicted of Insulting Islam

| 25 April 2013 | 18 Comments

An appeal hearing today in the case of a Tunisian man imprisoned for uploading images insulting to Islam reconfirmed his initial sentence of seven and a half years. The lawyer of Jaber Mejri told Tunisia Live that an unknown person had withdrawn the appeal he had filed on his client’s behalf without his knowledge before [...]

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NCA Adopts Law to Create Judicial Oversight Body

NCA Adopts Law to Create Judicial Oversight Body

| 25 April 2013 | 10 Comments

A draft law to create a new judicial oversight body independent of the executive branch of government was adopted yesterday afternoon during a plenary session of the National Constituent Assembly (NCA). The law to form a Temporary Judicial Council (TJC) to replace the former Judicial Supreme Council (JSC) passed with 151 votes in favor and [...]

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Tunisia Demands Extradition of Ben Ali’s Son-in-law

Tunisia Demands Extradition of Ben Ali’s Son-in-law

| 23 April 2013 | 5 Comments

Tunisian Minister of Foreign Affairs Othman Jerandi demanded Tuesday the extradition of Sakher El Materi, son-in-law of former president Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, from the Seychelles. According to a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jerandi called Seychelles Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean Paul Adam today to pursue negotiations over extraditing Materi for trial [...]

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Politician Arrested for Sodomy Subjected to Invasive Examination

Politician Arrested for Sodomy Subjected to Invasive Examination

| 19 April 2013 | 13 Comments

A political party leader and lawyer arrested on March 30 at the Sheraton Hotel in Tunis on sodomy charges remains in detention in a Tunisian jail and denies the accusations against him. Mounir Baatour, head of the Liberal Party, was arrested along with another man at the hotel in Tunis. A member of Baatour’s legal team who [...]

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Lawyers Criticize Delayed Release of Belaid Murder Suspect Photos

Lawyers Criticize Delayed Release of Belaid Murder Suspect Photos

| 15 April 2013 | 5 Comments

The Ministry of Interior this weekend released photos of five suspects allegedly involved in the February killing of opposition political leader Chokri Belaid. More than two months since his death, criticism of the pace of the investigations has grown. The alleged shooter was identified as Kamel Gathgathi. The other suspects identified are Ahmed Rouissi, Salmane Marakchi, Marouane Ben [...]

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Zwewla Graffiti Activists Acquitted of Public Order Charges

Zwewla Graffiti Activists Acquitted of Public Order Charges

| 10 April 2013 | 2 Comments

The verdict was released today in the trial of two men charged for painting political graffiti in the city of Gabes. Oussama Bouajila and Chahine Berriche, both members of the Zwewla activist group, were each charged 100 dinars for defacing government property. The were acquitted of the two other charges brought against them for defying the state [...]

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Defamation Trials Highlight Free Speech Concerns

Defamation Trials Highlight Free Speech Concerns

| 05 April 2013 | 13 Comments

Two cases before Tunisian courts have spurred debate over laws against defamation in Tunisia, and how freedom of expression will be enshrined in a new constitution. A hearing took place today in the case of Raja Ben Slama, a Tunisian academic who was charged with defamation by National Constituent Assembly (NCA) member Habib Kheder. Ben [...]

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Sheikh Accused of Helping Transport Tunisians to Syria Released

Sheikh Accused of Helping Transport Tunisians to Syria Released

| 05 April 2013 | 3 Comments

Tunisian sheikh Imed Ben Salah, better known as Abou Abdallah Attounsi, was released after being extradited from Egypt to Tunisia on April 4, according to Tunisian radio station Mosaique FM. Attounsi was arrested in Egypt on March 21, along with a Libyan, for possession of 17 fake passports allegedly used to facilitate the travel of [...]

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