Saint-Malo/Sant Maclou on 10th December 2006: Communiqué from UDB
Beyond the beach, political repression in Ben Ali's Tunisia.
Human Rights Day in Tunisia was stamped by an escalation of repression in the country.
Behind Tunisia's welcoming image − that so many tourists, especially French ones enjoy − another gruesome image is hidden; i.e. that of an opencast jail.
Tunisian opponents are victims of a fierce repression that breaches any international documents on Human Rights to which Tunisia signed.
Torture, multiform violence, imprisonment, intimidation devices, threats are experienced daily by those that fight for political and social Human Rights to be respected in Tunisia.
This repressive system was set up by Ben Ali himself and makes it difficult for all these Human Rights activists to continue their ideological fight.
Associations and political parties are banned, media, Internet, tax department, landline and mobile phones, mail are controled and censored, which gives the police an extraordinary power and control over all these activities.
The lawyer, Mohamed Abbou, was sentenced to 2 years jail because he published online an article to criticise Ben Ali. His wife is continuously harassed.
The former President of the League for Human Rights in Tunisia came back to Tunisia after 5 years in exile. He is now calling for peaceful resistantce and has just been bothered by the police again...
Breton Democratic Union (L'Union Démocratique bretonne) exposes this repression and expresses its support to all committed activists, who although it endangers their freedom and lives, fight for the building of a democratic and united Tunisia.
On behalf of UDB, Nicole Logeais, in charge of international relations: 02 99 89 10 83
UNION DEMOCRATIQUE BRETONNE - UNVANIEZH DEMOKRATEL BREIZH BP 80 722- 44007 NANTES / NAONED Cedex 01
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