Human Rights activists claim that Tunisia is facing a a torture ‘epidemic’ amid fears of a return to a Ben Ali- style police state.
The comments come after it emerged that The Tunisian Organization Against Torture (OCTT) is currently investigating almost 70 torture cases in 2015 with 23 claims submitted in the past month alone.
OCTT chief Mondher Cherni has hit out at the authorities over their ‘reluctance’ to investigate torture claims adequately and the human rights experts believes that Tunisia is at risk of once again becoming a police state.
“Torture is becoming an epidemic and widespread in Tunisian prisons and police stations.
“We need to stop it otherwise we’ll return to the old regime’s institutionalized violence and torture, He said.
“There is a threat of withdrawing to the old political oppression.
Meanwhile Cherni also revealed his frustrations regarding the methods currently used in the country’s police stations.
“The right of defendants to read minutes before signing them, the allowance of a lawyer’s presence as well as the human right organizations during the investigation are just some of the necessary procedures needed to control the cases of violence, abuse and torture in Tunisia.
If a citizen violates the law, they’ll face legal action but the police themselves are beyond investigation and above conviction.”
“Investigations into torture are still carried out by the Ministry of the Interior and are often held in the same facilities when the offences were committed.”
“Those police officers who commit torture aren’t worthy of being in the security forces.” He added.
The comments come just weeks after Sidi Bouzid labourer Abdelmajid Al-Jeday died after being detained overnight at a National Guard barracks in the town.
Officials claim that Al-Jedday, who was due to get married later this year, committed suicide while in custody.
However his family, friends and civil society activists claim that the 52-year-old was tortured to death.
Al-Jeday had previously filed a case alleging police torture following a previous arrest in February and family members believe that it was the same men put under the spotlight by these claims who may have played a part in his death.
World Organization against Torture (OMCTT) activist Hend Khechine has called on the authorities to open an impartial investigation into the matter.
Three weeks later, her calls have still gone unanswered.
Source: http://www.tunisia-live.net/2015/06/05/return-tunisias-police-state/
