Hundreds of Tunisian lawyers and civil society activists, rallied in the capital, Tunis, on Thursday against policies President Kais Saied and his government that they described as limiting freedom of expression, following an alleged crackdown on freedom of speech.
Protesters called on Minister of Justice Leila Jaffel to step down, accusing her of fostering a hostile atmosphere of arrests and calling out lawyers, journalists, activists and citizens for expressing critical views of the government.
Slogans included ‘What a great country! Torture and oppression,' Degage (get lost) and ‘no fear no terror, power belongs to the people'.
On Saturday and Monday evening, masked plainclothes officers were accused of raiding the Tunisian Lawyers’ Bar offices and arresting lawyers Sonia Dahmani and Mehdi Zagrouba. Lawyers said the raid happened without a warrant.
Ms Dahmani was arrested over charges relating to a statement she made on the migration crisis, while Mr Zagrouba was held on charges of assaulting a police officer.
Two Tunisian journalists, Mourad Zghidi and Borhen Bsaies, were also arrested this week on charges of making critical statements against the government, both online and on a private radio show.
Tunisian prosecutors said their words had featured misleading information and breached national security.
Tunisian lawyers accused authorities of illegal tactics during these arrests including the alleged torture of Mr Zagrouba, who was taken to hospital on Wednesday night after fainting during an investigation.
Tunisian authorities have denied that any torture had taken place and said that cameras are installed in detention areas to prevent any ill-treatment.
Tunisian lawyer and president of the Tunisian Human Rights League, Bassem Trifi, told The National that he had observed the physical state of detained lawyer Mr Zagrouba and alleged his injuries showed he had been subjected to a “heinous form of torture”.
Mr Trifi described the arrests of lawyers as “a clear message aiming to tame the voice of the legal profession”.
“Today we came here to send a clear message to say no to oppression, no to the infringement of legal proceedings, no to intimidation and no to torture,” he said.
Lawyer and vice president of the Young Tunisian Lawyers Association, Mohamed Ali Marzouki, accused the prosecution of refusing to provide medical attention to Mr Zargouba. The prosecution reportedly issued a jail order against Mr Zargouba while he was unconscious.
Today we came here to send a clear message to say No to oppression, No to the infringement of legal proceedings, No to intimidation and No to torture
Bassem Trifi,
Tunisian Human Rights League
In a statement to Radio Mosaique, spokesman for the Ministry of Interior Faker Bouzghaya denied the allegations and said that Mr Zagrouba was not assaulted in any form, either during his arrest or where he is being detained.
Mr Bouzghaya said that Mr Zagrouba's lawyers were the ones who refused to bring a doctor and accused those making the claims of attempting to avert justice through promoting “fallacies”.
“Any person who provides false information or allegations without sufficient evidence will be prosecuted by the Ministry,” he said.
Several political and civil society activists joined lawyers in their protest.
Speaking to The National at the protest, political activist and member of the Alkotb political party, Chaima Jebali, said: “Tunisian lawyers have always been present throughout all major phases of Tunisia’s history, starting from the colonial era, the Ben Ali era and even through the post-revolution period.
“The legal profession has been a safety valve in the defence of Tunisians’ right to a fair trial, their dignity, their freedoms … assaulting lawyers is an assault on all of us and the regime needs to stop its assaults, explain itself and especially assume responsibility.”
Mr Saied denied any intention to confront the lawyers and said that the recent detentions have nothing to do with the legal profession. Instead, he said the detentions concern “those who dared to humiliate and degrade their country”.
“Those who degrade their country internally find protection both from foreign official and non-official circles,” Mr Saied said.
In the past few weeks, Tunisian public opinion has witnessed a growing polarisation, with many of the President’s supporters accusing public figures and antiracism activists of “treason”, claiming there is a plot to destabilise Tunisia and damage its national security.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
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- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The five pillars of Islam
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
MATCH INFO
What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)
Landfill in numbers
• Landfill gas is composed of 50 per cent methane
• Methane is 28 times more harmful than Co2 in terms of global warming
• 11 million total tonnes of waste are being generated annually in Abu Dhabi
• 18,000 tonnes per year of hazardous and medical waste is produced in Abu Dhabi emirate per year
• 20,000 litres of cooking oil produced in Abu Dhabi’s cafeterias and restaurants every day is thrown away
• 50 per cent of Abu Dhabi’s waste is from construction and demolition
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Barbie
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
MATCH INFO
Scotland 59 (Tries: Hastings (2), G Horne (3), Turner, Seymour, Barclay, Kinghorn, McInally; Cons: Hastings 8)
Russia 0
Frida%20
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In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Sam Smith
Where: du Arena, Abu Dhabi
When: Saturday November 24
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
