Exceptional measures: to when and to where?
After the President of the Republic announced on August 24, 2021, the extension of the exceptional measures which he announced over a month ago “until further notice” and in view of the ambiguity surrounding the current situation and the absence of a clear vision about the future of political and civil life, the delay in forming the government and the hesitation to return to normal life and respect individual and collective rights, and after the abuses that affected many citizens, including businessmen, parliamentarians, judges, and former and current officials, the signatory associations and organizations invite the President of the Republic to:
-Determine the duration of the exceptional measures and launch a national dialogue with the participation of all national parties, including political parties, organizations and national personalities in order to achieve the political, institutional, economic and social reform that our country needs today, a reform that can only succeed If it appears to be participatory and consensual.
– Neutralize the military institution, distance it from all political quarrels, and refrain from using military justice to try civilians.
-Respect the separation of powers, ensure the independence of the judiciary, and returning to the Supreme Judicial Council before making any decision prohibiting the judge from traveling or placing him under house arrest.
The signatory associations and organizations also express their deep concern about the campaigns of arrest, travel ban and house arrest measures that have affected many parliamentarians, businessmen and judges, as well as the restriction of the residence of the former head of the National Anti-Corruption Authorities, Ex-dean Chawki Tabib, without providing justifications or judicial warrants…
In addition, we strongly denounce the security attack on the headquarters of the National Anti-Corruption Authority, seizing the files and changing its locks, and we stress that the dossiers that were submitted to an independent body contain private personal data that is supposed to be protected, and whistle-blowers must be protected, as stipulated by the law.
We also emphasize that the continuation of the state of emergency and the exceptional measures that are often accompanied by abusive measures and the state of gathering of all powers in the hands of the President of the Republic in the absence of a clear vision about the next steps constitutes a real danger to the future of democracy in our country and further aggravates the economic, social, health and political conditions and sends negative messages to all partners at home and abroad and contributes to the isolation of our country and forces it to slip into the policy of axes especially with regards to the relative risks.
Associations and Organizations:
- Committee for the Respect of Freedoms and Human Rights in Tunisia
- Tunisian Association for the Defence of Individual Liberties
- BAITY Association
- Tunisian Association for the Support of Minorities
- Democratic Transition and Human Rights Support Center
- Citizen Bridges Association
- Association to activate the right to be different
- Tunis Center for Press Freedom
- ASWAT NISSAA
- Tunisian Association for the Cultural Movement
- Al-Talqa Association for Freedom and Equality
- Association of Citizenship, Development, Cultures and Migration in the Two Banks
- Arts and Cultures Association of the Two Banks
- Tunisia Youth Empowerment Forum
- Association of Civil Solidarity Tunisia
- Association of Tunisian Women for Research on Development
- 10-23 Organization to Support the Democratic Path
- Vigil for Democracy and the Civil State
- Hassan El Saadawi Association for Democracy and Equality
- Free Sight Association
- Pont de Geneve
