Anger is mounting in Tunisia as judges at the Tunis Appeal Court’s Criminal Division decided to reduce the prison sentences of 12 police officers implicated in the drowning of 19-year-old football fan Omar Laabidi in 2018.
A Tunisian judge at the Ben Arous First Instance Court initially condemned and sentenced the accused police officers to two years in prison for involuntary manslaughter last November.
The police officers also faced accusations of committing the crime of “failure to assist a person in danger”, however, the court did not reach a verdict on this offence.
Tunisian Ultra groups associated with several rival football clubs and linked to hooliganism, including The North Vandals – of which Mr Laabidi was a member – issued a joint statement on Sunday accusing the judge presiding over the case of alleged corruption and conflict of interest, as her husband is a police officer.
“Corruption is within the judicial inspectorate itself and in a situation of blatant conflict of interest – which is evident as her [the judge] husband is a police officer,” the statement read.
They said this conflict of interest could create further police immunity, which Tunisia had already witnessed throughout its history.
The fan clubs also hinted that they would take to the streets.
“The ruins of the curtain of your legitimacy will lead to the birth of a new era – from which you have no escape – an inevitable response to the brutality of your police system,” the football ultra clubs said in the same statement.
“There will be a fierce popular response in support of the truth, wreaking havoc on all your tools.”
On March 31, 2018, clashes erupted between police and football fans after a riot took place following a match between football clubs Club Africain and L’Olympique de Medenine.
As security forces used tear gas and violently dispersed football fans, Mr Laabidi tried to escape until he reached the ‘Oued Meliane’ river where he drowned.
Witnesses said police cornered Mr Laabidi and scared him off in order to jump into the water, despite him saying that he could not swim.
The police officers implicated in the case reportedly told him “Ta’alem Oum,” or “learn to swim”, pushing him to jump in the river and drowning as a result.
Since then, the incident instigated widespread anger across the country and led to the birth of the anti-police brutality movement “Ta’alem Oum” igniting nationwide protests that involved hundreds of Tunisians.
In recent years, Tunisia’s Ministry of Interior has been repeatedly accused of manipulating assault cases involving its officers, including the use of lethal force.
The majority of the cases were either dismissed or remain pending, with investigations still open and taking years to resolve.
In April, 2021, 29-year-old Abdesalem Zayen died in custody after police officers refused to let him receive a vital insulin dose for his diabetes.
Mr Zayen was pulled over by the police in the southern governorate of Sfax for reportedly violating Tunisia’s 8pm Covid-19 curfew. He was later arrested and detained for allegedly insulting the police officers after objecting to the reason for his arrest.
In June of the same year, 32 year old Ahmed Ben Ammar, died while in police custody after getting arrested in the working-class neighbourhood of Sidi Hassine. The head of the police division that arrested Mr Ben Ammar, who was initially detained, was later released after an autopsy report was inconclusive.
The case also led to widespread riots in the neighbourhood with several people injured and more violence perpetrated by Tunisian police. This included the beating of a 15-year-old who was stripped naked as he walked by one of the protests.
The video of the incident, which was widely circulated, has been since referred to as more evidence of deeply-rooted police brutality.
Police unions have been accused by the public of pressuring and intimidating the judiciary to drop charges faced by their affiliates, or pressuring them to issue light sentences.
Since the 2011 uprising which ousted the Ben Ali regime, successive Tunisian governments have failed to reform the country’s security system, which still operates under decades-old laws.
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PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
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Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
The five pillars of Islam
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
