Month: May 2024

Tunis: Tunisia has called on “all free people of the world to stand united against the genocidal war and forced displacement waged by the Zionist occupation forces against the Palestinian people,” according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad issued Wednesday.

It urged all countries of the world to ‘stop this massacre immediately,’ especially as the occupying entity is preparing to commit a ‘major massacre’ under the eyes of the world, against more than one and a half million Palestinians in the city of Rafah, and continues its arrogance and criminality in blatant defiance of international law and humanitarian law.

Tunisia reiterated its unconditional support for the Palestinian people in their struggle to recover their legitimate, inalienable and imprescriptible rights.

It reaffirmed its firm position in favour of the Palestinian brothers, in order to establish their fully sovereign state on all the land of Palestine, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.

The Zionist occupation army penetrated the Rafah land crossing, amid heavy fire on its buildings, and occupied it completely and prevented the movement of travellers, especially the sick and wounded.

It also prevented the entry of humanitarian aid or the transfer of aid.

According to media reports, 21 Palestinians, including children and women, were martyred on Tuesday as a result of the Zionist occupation forces’ shelling of different areas in the Gaza Strip.

Most of the martyrs came from the city of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip, whose border crossing is considered the lifeline for the residents of Gaza and the only land gateway for the entry of aid and the evacuation of the injured.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunis: Thursday, May 9 will be the first day of the month of Dhu al-Qidah in the year 1445 of the Hijri calendar, Mufti of the Republic Hichem Ben Mahmoud announced on Wednesday evening.

Dhu al-Qidah is the eleventh month of the Hijri calendar.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunis: The “Alliance against Torture” was launched on Wednesday by civil society organisations on the occasion of the National Day against Torture and in memory of Nabil Barakati, who died under torture at a police station in GaSfour (Siliana) on May 8, 1987.

Oussama Bouajila, representative of the World Organisation against Torture (OMCT) in Tunis and coordinator of the coalition, said at a press conference held at the headquarters of the National Union of Tunisian Journalists (SNJT) to present the coalition that the Alliance against Torture would provide its expertise in the fight against and prevention of torture.

Human rights organisations and associations are once again calling for the amendment of Article 101a of the Penal Code on the crime of torture, “as it contains several loopholes and is one of the causes of the persistence of the phenomenon of impunity”, he added.

According to Article 101a of the Penal Code, torture is any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is in
tentionally inflicted on a person for the purpose of obtaining from that person or another person information or a confession to an act that that person or another person has committed or is suspected of having committed. A public official or equivalent who, in the exercise of his functions or on the occasion of the exercise of his functions, orders, incites, approves or remains silent about torture shall be considered a torturer.

Bouajila pointed out that this article is not in line with the provisions of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (the “Torture Convention”), which was adopted by the Tunisian government in 1988.

There was a need to redefine the crime of torture to make it more comprehensive, he said.

Taking the floor, Mohamed Mzem, Executive Director of the Tunisian League for Human Rights (LTDH), said that the coalition was open to all civil society components and all those who wish to join, pointing out that the fight against torture has
developed from a legislative point of view since the revolution, with the creation of the National Authority for the Prevention of Torture (INPT).

The Alliance Against Torture includes the LTDH, the OMCT, the Tunisian Association for Justice and Equality “DAMJ” and the Association of the Generation Against Marginalisation (GAM).

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunis: President Kais Saied reaffirmed Tunisia’s keenness to further consolidate and diversify Tunisian-Bahraini cooperation relations in various fields and to overcome difficulties that could hinder the implementation of some Bahraini projects and investments in Tunisia during his meeting with Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain, Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani at Carthage Palace on Wednesday.

During the meeting, the Head of State was also briefed on the ongoing preparations for the organisation of the forthcoming Arab Summit in Manama.

He commended the efforts being made to ensure that the summit takes place in the best conditions and leads to results that meet the aspirations of the peoples of the region.

The Head of State stressed Tunisia’s readiness to continue its active contribution to the development of a joint Arab action, according to a statement issued by the Presidency of the Republic.

The meeting was also an opportunity for the President of the Republic to address the Palestinian issue
.

He reiterated Tunisia’s firm and constant support for the Palestinian people in their struggle against the unprecedented aggression against them and its full support for their legitimate aspirations to regain their inalienable rights and establish their independent and fully sovereign state on all Palestinian territory with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.

For his part, the Bahraini Foreign Minister conveyed to the President of the Republic the greetings of the Bahraini leadership, wishing Tunisia further progress and development.

He gave an account of the preparations for the Arab Summit in Manama and the ongoing consultations at various levels to crystallise initiatives in various fields to serve common Arab interests and unite efforts to face the current challenges.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunis: Two people have been taken into custody for harbouring undocumented foreigners, the Directorate General of the National Guard said in a statement on Wednesday.

Raids were carried out on four houses in Bekalta and Bennane, Monastir governorate, where 24 people of sub-Saharan origin were arrested for being in Tunisia illegally, the same source said.

According to another press release from the National Guard, five attempts to illegally cross the sea border were foiled and a large number of illegal migrants were rescued.

This is part of a ‘security operation to combat illegal migration in the central district of the Coast Guard and the regional district of the National Guard in Sfax, according to the same source.

Fifteen wanted migrant smugglers and middlemen were also arrested, it said.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunis: The National Union of Tunisian Journlists (SNJT) considered that the restrictions imposed on journalists have become “systematic,” as it criticised the practices of certain police officers, who continue to demand authorisations from journalists that are not provided for by law.

In a statement released Wednesday, the union said its executive committee will review the usefulness of its partnership with the Ministry of Interior on the safety of journalists next week.

It added that this partnership, which has been in place since October 2017, has “become meaningless” and not effective enough in preventing repeated security attacks on journalists.

The union warned against the adoption by the Ministry of the Interior of the criterion of national security without taking into account the criteria of relativity and necessity, which, according to the union, “represents a real danger to the nature of journalistic work and its effectiveness.”

The union called on the Ministry to honour its commitments to journa
lists and not to resort to illegal means to obstruct their work, and urged the Ministry to review its policy in this regard.

It raised the issue of the arbitrary arrest on Wednesday of Malek Mahwechi, a photographer of the TAP news agency, while covering a fire in the Sidi Abdessalem neighbourhood of Tunis.

The officers took the photographer to the El Omrane security station, even though he was in possession of a professional card.

The union said it had intervened to have the photographer released, pointing out that no prior authorisation is required to take photographs in public places.

It added that the police had twice prevented the ‘New Media’ website team from filming in the Bab Bhar area.

The last two weeks have been marked by a series of attacks on journalists covering the crisis of irregular migrants in El Amra (Sfax governorate), the SNJT further said.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse