The Palace of Justice in Tunis. AP Photo
The Palace of Justice in Tunis. AP Photo
The Palace of Justice in Tunis. AP Photo
The Palace of Justice in Tunis. AP Photo

Students detained in Tunisia over song criticising the police


Ghaya Ben Mbarek
  • English
  • Arabic

Two students in Tunisia have been detained over a satirical song criticising the police and the country’s drug laws.

Youssef Chelbi and Dhia Nsir posted a clip on TikTok and Facebook of them singing a song using the Babar the Elephant theme tune.

The lyrics describe police behaviour towards young people and satirise Tunisia’s controversial drug consumption law, referring to a person arrested by the police for allegedly smoking cannabis.

The state prosecution service referred the two students to the criminal police division, where they are facing charges of “insulting others through communication networks” and “attributing incorrect claims to a public official.”

They will remain in custody until their trial next Tuesday.

The students' lawyer, Iman Souissi, told Mosaique radio station the pair could face up to a year in prison, which would prevent them from sitting their final university exams.

Despite the exams beginning on Thursday, the prosecution denied the students’ request for bail.

Their lawyer said the decision to incarcerate the pair was shocking, especially since the song’s lyrics do not include any defamation or incitement against the police.

The Ministry of Interior was not available for comment when contacted by The National.

The decision to detain the students comes amid a clampdown on freedom of speech in the country, with more than 20 opposition figures currently behind bars.

On Tuesday, an appeal court handed down a five-year prison sentence to a local journalist accused of disclosing information deemed sensitive about an anti- terrorism operation.

A judge has also sentenced opposition leader Rached Ghannouchi to one year in prison on incitement charges following a complaint by a police union.

President Kais Saied has denied that he is targeting freedoms in the country on multiple occasions, saying the arrests are needed to protect Tunisia’s national interests.

Mr Saied shut down the country’s parliament in July 2021 and since then has changed the political system, effectively giving himself more power.

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Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

THE SCORES

Ireland 125 all out

(20 overs; Stirling 72, Mustafa 4-18)

UAE 125 for 5

(17 overs, Mustafa 39, D’Silva 29, Usman 29)

UAE won by five wickets

UAE SQUAD

UAE team
1. Chris Jones-Griffiths 2. Gio Fourie 3. Craig Nutt 4. Daniel Perry 5. Isaac Porter 6. Matt Mills 7. Hamish Anderson 8. Jaen Botes 9. Barry Dwyer 10. Luke Stevenson (captain) 11. Sean Carey 12. Andrew Powell 13. Saki Naisau 14. Thinus Steyn 15. Matt Richards

Replacements
16. Lukas Waddington 17. Murray Reason 18. Ahmed Moosa 19. Stephen Ferguson 20. Sean Stevens 21. Ed Armitage 22. Kini Natuna 23. Majid Al Balooshi

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Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching

Scoreline

Abu Dhabi Harlequins 17

Jebel Ali Dragons 20

Harlequins Tries: Kinivilliame, Stevenson; Cons: Stevenson 2; Pen: Stevenson

Dragons Tries: Naisau, Fourie; Cons: Love 2; Pens: Love 2

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Dos

  • Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion 
  • Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
  • Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work 
  • Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester

Don’ts 

  • Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal 
  • Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
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More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
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Our legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

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What the law says

Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.

“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.

“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”

If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.

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Updated: May 17, 2023, 3:52 PM`