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Women's
statement on Tunisian Human Rights situation
Gender
IT.org
November 15, 2005
http://www.genderit.org/en/index.shtml?w=r&x=91870
We, women’s
organisations, individuals and networks gathered in Tunis for Phase
II of the World Summit on the Information Society, denounce blatant
violations of human rights, freedom of expression, access to information
and freedom of assembly by the Tunisian government.
On November
12th 2005, correspondent Christophe Boltanski of the French daily
Libération who previously reported the on-going hunger strike
of Tunisian political prisoners, was beaten and stabbed by four
unidentified assailants near his hotel in Tunis, in the presence
of police officers who did not take any action to stop the attack.
Preparations
for a Citizen’s
Summit on the Information Society have been continuously disrupted
and prevented from happening. On November 14th 2005, Tunisian authorities
blocked access to the preparatory meeting site, Goethe Institute,
and physically forced people away from the building. During this
process, several people were insulted and beaten. On the same day,
a journalist from Belgium who was covering the event had his camera
confiscated. When the camera was returned later, the film was missing.
Websites, including
the one of the Citizens Summit on the Information Society (CSIS),
have been blocked in all areas in Tunisia except in the computers
inside the official WSIS venue.
These incidents
form part of the serious deterioration of freedom of expression
and assembly in Tunisia.
The
Tunisia Monitoring Group, a coalition of 14 organisations monitoring
freedom of expression in Tunisia, reported that since January 2005,
harassments of journalists and dissidents, imprisonment of those
who articulate criticisms against the Tunisian government have persisted,
and in some cases, escalated. The independence of judiciary has
also been compromised. Essai Belhassen, Coordinator of the Association
of Tunisian Democratic Women (Association Tunisienne des Femmes
Democrates, ATFD), has been consistently obstructed from participating
in WSIS-related meetings and events. Further, information sites
covering WSIS from civil society perspectives, especially those
maintained by Tunisians, have been censored and blocked.
Freedoms of
expression, access to information and freedom of assembly are integral
to the principles of gender equality and women’s human rights. Human
rights and freedoms, of which women's human rights and freedoms
are a central part, must be located at the core of the information
society.
As articulated
in Paragraph
4 of the WSIS Declaration, to which the Tunisian government
is a signatory, and as outlined in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights, everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and
expression; that this right includes freedom to hold opinions without
interference. We call on the Tunisian government and the international
community to protect and uphold these rights.
We urge a real
commitment to the Geneva Declaration of Principles in building an
Information Society that is people-centred, inclusive, participatory,
democratic and development-oriented.
We are outraged
and gravely concerned by the impunity demonstrated by the Tunisian
authorities in curtailing the freedoms of expression, access to
information and freedom of assembly.
We demand the
Tunisian government to put an end to the human rights violations.
It is intolerable that we are experiencing serious violations of
basic human rights even as we gather here to shape a just and equitable
Information Society.
Signed:
- World Association
of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC)
- Women's
International Network Association of Progressive Communications,
Women's Networking Support Programme (APC WNSP)
- International
Women's Tribune Centre European Federation of Older Persons (EURAG)
- Europe Knowledge
& Rights with Young People through Safer Spaces (KRYSS)
- Lisa McLaughlin,
the focal point for Union for Democratic Communications
- Esther Joly
Avri Doria Network of Feminists Women for Gender Equity in Development
(GENERA)
- Heike Jensen,
- Terre des
Femmes IIAV Iran CSOs Training and Research Center
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