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Radio Internacional Feminista- FIRE/ Noviembre 2005
Tunisian Women
Activists Continue
December 15, 2005
Rahdia spoke to FIRE during the controversial World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in Tunis in November. While many governments hailed the UN conference as a success, others condemned it as a “mockery” due to the host government’s appalling human rights record and ongoing human rights violations against activists and journalists, which escalated in the months before the event. Thus the Tunisian government has been repressing the rights to freedom of expression and speech that the WSIS was designed to promote.
Women Dissidents Face Greater Backlash Rahdia told FIRE that “women are the first victims everywhere in the world. In Tunisia, for example, the authorities see it as a big problem when women start fighting for their rights…they may be punished more savagely than men. They cannot admit that women can be human rights defenders and if you speak about women’s rights, it is becoming more and more dangerous.” Rahdia herself and also her daughter were attacked and brutally beaten by police officers in March when they were on the way to a demonstration meeting. Radhia suffered a fractured nose, and both she and her daughter had numerous cuts and bruises all over their bodies. According to Amnesty International, Radhia was most likely targeted due to her strong criticism of the arrest the week before of Mohammed Abbou, a human rights activist and lawyer.
Numerous Violations of Freedom of Press & Speech in Tunisia Restrictions on freedom of expression, association and assembly have been the norm in Tunisia since the early 1990s, with little or no freedom of the press, continued blocking of certain websites by authorities, and harassment of human rights activists and organizations. Despite more recent public outcry related to the WSIS by Tunisian human rights activists and international organizations such as Reporters Without Borders and Amnesty International, many local activists were not allowed entry to the UN conference, and were kept under surveillance with constant intimidation by the police. Likewise, many of these activists as well as foreign journalists were harassed and even physically assaulted by police before and during the conference. The government also blocked access to websites that were critical of the situation for Tunisians outside of the WSIS site. A parallel “Citizen’s Summit” organized by civil society groups during WSIS was cancelled because a venue they had booked was suddenly cancelled at the last minute, most likely due to pressure from Tunisian authorities. Over 400 Internet activists are in prison, charged with posting reports critical of the Tunisian situation, or visiting “illegal” websites, with sentences ranging from several months to more than 15 years. Inéz Tlili, a young woman activist with Amnesty International, told FIRE that “we have many examples of young people such as a 23-year-old man who was arrested because he made a website that talks about the political conditions in Tunisia. He was arrested and tortured in prison, and was released a short time after but soon died [as a result of his injuries]. Only 23 years old!” Another cyber-dissident in prison is a teenager, just 17 years of age. Tunisia is an example of a long-time repressive government that is now cracking down on individual and human rights in the name of “fighting terrorism.” Inéz explained that several young men who had visited Islamic websites were arrested and accused of being terrorists. “We have this law in Tunisia to stop terrorists but…we as civil society cannot meet together and organize, just because they are afraid of terrorists. If we want to hold a concert or assemblies in the name of Amnesty International, we cannot find a space and they shut us out because we will be talking about human rights. This is crazy!”
Despite Gains in Women's Human Rights, Women Face Violence & Harrassment Tunisia hails itself as very progressive in terms of women’s rights, having passed laws to promote gender equality in terms of women’s access to education, health and social services. However, the reality in some cases is quite different, according to Inéz. “We have women’s rights and they say that women have reached the [status] of those in Europe, but not in reality.” Inéz noted, for example, that domestic violence is common in her country, but often hidden and treated by authorities as a personal problem for families to deal with. Amnesty International has an international campaign against domestic violence, and activists in Tunisia are using this opportunity to teach women about their rights related to domestic violence and other issues. But the harassment and violence against women are an ongoing problem, says Inéz, even in public places: “Women and girls on the streets just walking in certain places or times are harassed and in some cases are beaten. For me, I was on a train and a guy didn’t like the way I asked him to step back so I could pass and he attacked me, and nobody said anything…When I asked the policeman how come you didn’t say anything, you are supposed to protect me, he said, ‘But I am a man.’” In response to the human rights violations that took place in Tunis during the WSIS, numerous civil society groups and individuals sent an open letter to the UN Secretary General Kofi Anan demanding a full investigation into the attacks on human rights and freedom of expression. Likewise, the letter asks that the UN Secretary General undertake a review of procedures for choosing a host country for UN conferences including protocols and human rights commitments required for host countries.
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