Tunisian security forces have committed human rights abuses following a series of armed attacks in the country, Amnesty International (AI) [advocacy website] reported [text, PDF] Monday. In 2015 Tunisia passed [LOC report] a new counter-terrorism law in an attempt remove powers given to the deposed Ben Ali [BBC profile] regime to stop peaceful protests. AI believes this that this new law has too broad a definition of terrorism, increases the surveillance powers of the government and ultimately could endanger human rights. The report further illustrates rights abuses such as torture and other ill-treatment in order to force confessions at the Court of First Instance, created out of the 2015 counter-terrorism law. AI has urged Tunisia to implement the observations of the UN committee against Torture [official website] and recommendations from a May 2016 report [materials] to protect the gains of the nation and citizens since the uprising in 2011.

The warning from the International advocacy group is one of many that have been issued to Tunisia since 2011 when the UN rights chief urged the country to follow the rule of law [JURIST report] as they came to their first national elections. The country adopted a constitution [text, PDF] in 2014 with a hope that it would afford protections to all of its citizens. However, the government has faced continued terrorism concerns. In December Tunisia arrested three suspects [JURIST report] who were believed to be connected with the lorry attack in a Berlin holiday market. In October Human Rights Watch [advocacy website] was troubled by more than 139 people being placed under house arrest [JURIST report] in the name of terrorism.