Human Rights and Protection of Lawyers | TUNISIA

The UIA-IROL, together with Bars and Law Societies around the world, condemn the arrest of a lawyer and columnist who was summoned to appear before the courts and took refuge in the lawyer's House, where she was violently arrested

Aware of the violent arrest of our colleague, Sonia Dahmani, a member of the Tunisian Bar, at the Lawyer’s House, on Saturday 11 May 2024, by hooded individuals who violently shoved the lawyers and journalists present,

Aware of the press release issued by the Tunis section of the National Bar Association of Tunisia, which met in emergency session on 11 May and called for a general strike,

The undersigned :

RECALL that on 18 March 1969 Tunisia ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights adopted in 1968 by the United Nations, which protects the rights to life, liberty and security, freedom of thought, conscience and religion and the prohibition of arbitrary detention,

RECALL that on 23 September 1988 Tunisia also ratified the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment adopted in 1987 by the United Nations and its Optional Protocol, on 29 June 2011, adopted in 2002,

ARE OUTRAGED by the verbal and physical violence perpetrated against Tunisian lawyers and journalists in order to intimidate and silence them,

CONDEMN the violent arrest of a lawyer and columnist who, after making comments on television about the situation in the country, was summoned to appear before the courts and took refuge in the lawyer's House, where she was violently arrested,

CONSIDER that forcing their way into the premises of the National Bar Association is an unprecedented and alarming attack on this place, a sanctuary for the rights of the defence and freedom of expression, where lawyers, defenders of the rule of law and last bastions against arbitrariness, meet,

PROTEST against such practices, demand the immediate release of our colleague Sonia Dahmani and an end to all forms of repression against Tunisian lawyers, journalists and all other defenders of freedoms,

SUPPORT the lawyers of the Tunis section of the Tunisian National Bar Association and all other colleagues who have been hindered in the exercise of their profession,

CALL for a rally of lawyers in robes, journalists and human rights defenders in front of the Tunisian Embassy, 25 rue Barbet de Jouy, Paris 7th arrondissement, to defend fundamental rights and freedoms, this Friday 17 May at 12.30 p.m.