Tunisia, Jan 5 (EFE).- The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) today accused the Tunisian authorities of “intimidating” lawyers through “politicised proceedings”, after judicial investigations were launched against at least four lawyers at the request of the Ministry of Justice.
The well-known lawyer and former Minister of Human Rights, Ayachi Hammami” is the latest to be investigated on the basis of a recent decree law which provides for sentences of up to 10 years in prison for those who spread “false news”, after his statements released on last week against political power.
“Instead of prosecuting lawyers on trumped-up charges, the Tunisian authorities must end their assault on the rule of law and ensure that lawyers can do their rightful work without intimidation, harassment or reprisals,” Said Benarbia said today, ICJ director for the Middle East and North Africa.
Hammami is also coordinator of the committee for the defense of the 57 magistrates deposed by decree by the Tunisian president, Kais Said, last June.
During the radio interview, he said that the sacked judges face politically motivated prosecutions and that “the authorities had fabricated terrorism-related cases against 13 of them”.
The lawyer, who is due to appear on January 10, was summoned to court on Monday for “deliberately using communication networks and computer systems to promote and spread false rumors with the aim of violating the rights of others and threatening public safety”.
According to CIJ, “Hammami is at least the fourth lawyer to be prosecuted for criticizing the Justice Ministry’s policies and practices regarding the dismissal of the 57 judges.”
Lawyers Lazhar Akermi, Ghazi Chaouachi and Mehdi Zagrouba are also under investigation for media statements and social media posts against the Tunisian authorities.
The Tunisian president, who has ruled with full powers since July 25, 2021, has since been accused of politicizing justice after open judicial instructions against activists and politicians were known.
The ICJ believes that Said “has taken steps to effectively dismantle the ‘rule of law in Tunisia'” by undermining judicial independence and judicial protection of human rights, limiting civic space and repressing the exercise of freedom of expression, including dissidence”.
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