JURIST - Paper Chase: Tunisia continues to violate human rights in name of security: report

[JURIST] Tunisia continues to commit hundreds of human rights abuses [press release] despite previous vows to cease, according to a report [text, PDF] published Thursday by Amnesty International (AI) [advocacy website]. The report details the arrest, torture, and detention of prisoners in the name of national security, and even the kidnapping and forced return of Tunisians living abroad. The report urges Tunisian authorities to:

ensure that all allegations of torture and other ill-treatment are promptly, fully and independently investigated, with the outcome made public and officials responsible for torture or other serious abuses being held accountable and prosecuted before the courts, in conformity with international law.

The report also calls for the other governments not to return Tunisians to their native country where they are at risk of torture, specifically referring to the US rendition of Guantanamo Bay [JURIST news archive] detainees.

This report is not AI's first accusation against Tunisia. In June 2008, the group released a report [text] accusing Tunisia of committing widespread human rights abuses under overly-broad anti-terrorism legislation. AI also criticized the US, as well as European and other Arab countries, for turning over terror suspects to Tunisian authorities [JURIST report] despite allegations of torture and other abuses. In February, the European Court of Human Rights ruled against the deportation [text] of a former Tunisian terrorism suspect, finding he would likely be subjected to torture [JURIST report] in violation of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights [PDF text] if returned to Tunisia. In September 2007, Human Rights Watch released a report [text] accusing Tunisian officials of mistreating two former Guantanamo detainees [JURIST report] after they were returned to the country.